Mothers Day

Mothers Day is a very special day. Normally we don't give dear old dad more than a card and/or a hug. Not Mom. For the most part they are the parent that molded you into the person you became (or will become). I believe my generation was one of the last to have nuclear families at its core. Family for us was everything. For better or worse the turbulent 60's and 70's put an end to that. For my part I have to say my Mom must have put up with more than the average Mom did. The military was my father's mistress and he answered its call with frequency. That meant my Mom assumed a ton of roles and unless you have been, or know a military Mom, you have no idea what that encompassed. When my father was home or we travelled with him my mother was the person responsible for his appearance. She kept his uniform pressed and his shoes signed. One of my memories is that my father always left for work with a clean car. You guessed it-Mom washed it every work day morning. I was blessed to have great grand parents who lived through my early years. The matriarchs were an integral part of our family structure. On my fathers side my great grandparents were of German descent (even speaking the language) and that rich culture stayed with me. My mother came from a family of girls and I learned much from all of them. When the military didn't drag us away we got to experience the fading small town culture of this great country. My great grand mother owned the local hardware store and a lot of the family lived close. After church (a must on Sundays) we would gather at my great grandmothers house for Sunday dinner. I loved the smell of that old wooden house with its antiques and intoxicating aromas coming out of the kitchen. My mother came from the generation that rarely measured anything and dinner never disappointed. I consider myself a good cook and thank the women of my family for that. I believe being in touch with your feminine side is a good thing for a man. You will be rewarded later in life if you learn how to cook, clean and wash. Throw in the fact that my Dad was an outdoorsman and an outstanding mechanic and it's a mystery  why I didn't turn out better. ( -; I can use all kinds of superlatives to describe and honor my Mother, but they would fail to adequately describe her. She has been my rock and the greatest love of my life. I am truly blessed having her. Happy Mothers Day Mom!