I love my MOM!

My mother was one of six children in her family, and one of four daughters. She was born in Connecticut, and moved to 29 Palms when she was just a few weeks old. She has lived there for the great majority of her life. She has been married to my father, Floyd, a man she met on Valentines, was engaged to by St. Patrick's day, and married to by Memorial Day (yes, all in the same year) for 47 years.

My mom always made sure I had word puzzles and activity books that would stimulate my mind. She (and my father, I'm sure) made sure we had a good set of encyclopedias to use for school in our home, a set I made excellent use of as often as I could. She encouraged me to read by finding used books that she thought I might be interested in.

My mom loves music. The more bass, the better. I remember she used to crank up the stereo and the bass, in the car and at our home. You know those cars that make the earth shake because of the bass? Well, I think if my mom could have had one of those systems in her day, she would have. She loved all kinds of music, even the music of my generation. Yup, she was cool that way. (She had a particular fondness for Elvis, both his music and his movies.) She taught herself how to play the "Funmachine" organ we had in our living room for my growing up years, and some of my best memories involve listening to her play music.

My mom loves looking after people. We moved from San Diego when I was six years old because my grandparents were in a serious accident. After the accident, she wanted to be back in 29 Palms to look after them. My mom was well known in 29 Palms, and especially known for her big heart and caring nature. We took care of several of her friends, elderly ladies and gentlemen she had befriended at the counter at the drug store, who needed a little help at home or who simply needed a friend. My mom took care of both her mom and her dad to the best of her ability up until the day they died. Even today, she and my dad spend nearly every Sunday at the continuing care that took care of my grandfather, visiting with the residents, playing games with them, and being good friends.

My mom not only cares for people, but animals as well. She loved birds (we always had several in our home) as well as cats and dogs. When we caught lizards or snakes, she would be very patient about letting us look after them. I don't think she was a big fan of snakes, though. One of my funniest memories was the day one of us spotted a snake in our house, but it moved so fast we couldn't tell what kind it was. Since rattlers were common where we lived, my mom and I quickly jumped up on our chairs and started screaming for help. I'm sure it was quite a sight to behold! It turned out it was a harmless snake, thank goodness.

My mom and dad were avid CB radio fans and participated in REACT. We had CB's in our cars and at home. We helped with search and rescue in our area. I don't think that's a hobby they still pursue, come to think of it. Still, it was fun growing up knowing all the CB and trucker lingo.

My mom nearly died a few years ago. She contracted e-coli, and by the time she and my dad decided to go to the hospital, it was nearly too late. The doctor said if they had been even a few minutes later, she might have died. The battle to get well took a long time. Her kidneys had completely failed and she had a serious infection in her blood. The initial prognosis was that she would be on dialysis for the rest of her life. Ha! Those silly doctors forget the mighty power of prayer! She regained the use of her kidneys and beat the infection.

Despite all that she gives to others, my mom has struggled with self-worth her whole life. She didn't feel she was smart. She never felt she was beautiful. She had a hard time understanding why others loved her. She was always concerned she was too fat. She still to this day says more negative things about herself than positive. Yet everyone who knows her, knows that she has a big, giving heart, a loving nature, a sure knowledge of how to help others, a beauty of spirit that radiates throughout her being, and a love for her family and God that makes everyone around her want to be like her.

When I was younger, I did not appreciate her enough. Now, having been a mom myself, I understand  and appreciate that she always did her best. I have always loved her, but as an adult who has made plenty of blunders myself, I know that any mistakes she made were always with her heart in the right place, and that is what matters to God. She is a tremendous influence for good in my life. I'm grateful to her and for her, and I love her with all of my heart.