In following Rose's lead, my Mom's tribute.
I visited my Mom today, she's a driving force that recons to be dealt with,,,,tough, loving, great humor, smart as a whip, and would defend her children like a Wolverine in a corner. She just turned 84 last week, has beat cancer's azz 3 times, 2 heart surgeries...and fears nothing in this world.
She lost her only love 10 years ago, when my father suddenly passed...and has missed him dearly everyday. She was so heart broken when he died, I knew she was going to take her own life, just to move on to see Dad. She started talking about it 1 day and I flipped out,
"if you oft yourself, you do understand you'll never see Dad right ?, you'll be going to h-e-l-l Mom,,and we both know that's NOT where Dad is"...she stared at the floor a minute, looked me in the eye and said
"chiit !, you're right,,,well I hope God hurries up". She grew up poor in the Mid-west, small shack with a dirt floor,,,stayed there many times when I was young. My parents and Uncle built my Grandmother a "proper" home when life blessed them with success...small 2 bedroom place, but nice and 1 floor for aging easy.
Mom's father was a drunk wife beater, a bastage that deserved to have died a slow miserable painful death. Every Saturday night he went to the local bar and got hammered drunk, came home and beat his wife severely. He would wake all of the children(4), and make them sit in the living room and watch his display of "manhood and strength"...a real POS.
But never allowed that to effect her life, and said "we all have crosses to bear in life, quit whining about it and move on". My Dad finished college with 2 degrees from Purdue, then signed up for the Korean war, because "all of my friends had to go, it was only fair that I serve my time too". When his tour was over, they married and started a family. My Dad was a loving, gentle, caring man,,,The typical "Leave it to Beaver" family of the early 60's, strict but fair, rules and principles, civil rights supporters.
They had 3 sons, all interesting blends of the parents...I am my Mom on steroids
Today she fights to see another day, enjoying friends, grandchildren...but most of all her sons, they're her legacy, her mark on the world. She is proud of her work, her determination to raise good men in society,,,her unbridled ability to deal a "thundering velvet hand".
Love ya Mom, see you on Wednesday for lunch....my treat.
