HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

   If your Mother is still alive...go call her... visit her... email her a card telling her how much you love her,...and thank her for giving you the gift of life. Those with a living Mother don't realize how good they have it compared with the alternative. My mother died at the age of 41 and I was in the fourth grade. It truly was the saddest day of my life.

   This is my Mother in 1950 when she worked at the Borden's Plant in Dallas. She was their accounting secretary and had to work until noon on Saturdays, so she brought her young son with her on Saturdays. I would eat ice cream with the dock workers while she was upstairs doing the books. All of the guys told me I would get burned out and not like ice cream when I got older......Wrong!

  During the years of World War II my Mother worked two jobs while my Dad and seven uncles were gone to the service. In addition to working for Borden's in the daytime, she also worked at the defense plant in Grand Prairie, Texas. She was one of the many women who took over mens jobs so they could be part of the U.S. military. She took pride in telling people that she was a 'Rosie the Riveter.'  The P-38 Lightening twin-engine fighter plane was built at her plant and she spoke about it so much that my first words as a baby were 'P-38.'  When the war ended and the country was flooded by male workers returning from the war she gave up this job and stayed with Borden's.

  
  This was probably pretty racy for 1945, but it is a photo my Mom sent my Dad who was overseas at the time. He was a member of the U.S. Army's 7th Infantry Division and was a part of the invasion of Okinawa in April 1945. Yeah, you're right...that's me sunbathing with my Mom. She had three children and I am the only one that looks like her. 

    This photo was taken in 1945 also. My older brother was just beginning middle school but destined to look like our father. Our sister was exactly in between the boys. Five years younger than my brother, five years older than me. As you can see, only four years old and I am a Dallas Cowboy fan already.

      This is the photo that appeared in her obituary notice when she died in 1955 at the age of 41. She had worked for the Dallas Morning News the last three years of her life and the newspaper lowered their flag to half-staff when she died. It has been 58 years since her death but I still make decisions based upon how she raised me. She was one of seven children and all of them agree she was the cheerful, fun-loving member of the family. I like to think she would be proud of me.
    As I said at the beginning, consider yourself lucky if your Mom is still alive. Mother's will always keep you on the straight and narrow path and always have time to listen to you. No matter how ugly you may be (and you know who you are) a Mother will always love you. The highway of life is filled with pot holes and pitfalls, but a Mom is there to help guide you around these obstacles enroute to a better life. Cherish them while you have them. A Mother's love is God's gift to all of us, so enjoy it while you can. I am proof that the alternative is a tough road to travel.