My Extraordinary Mom: A True Story

A child of the Great Depression and born of a large farm family, I would have to say she came from humble beginnings. But that, as they say, was only the beginning. She fast-tracked through high school and left home to attend college at age sixteen. Among her early accomplishments were publishing short stories in the local newspaper, modeling, and writing for her college literary journal. At the small Kentucky college, she met a bright and handsome young man, and they fell in love. Before long, they were married and starting a little family of their own, ready or not.

The young lady's ambitions were put on hold, as making a home for her baby girl and husband occupied her attentions. The young man, a talented musician, worked a day job and played in a band at night. And the little family grew. Another little girl, and then another, and then another, ready or not. Sometimes the winds of change tend to blow us whatever way they will, and we just have to hold on. Maybe it was not exactly the life they would have planned for themselves, but there was love in the little family and it thrived. For a time.

Then one day there was a terrible accident. A car with faulty brakes plowed into a train. And the young husband and father never came home again. Now the young mother, devastated and alone, must find a new way forward with a brood of four in tow. And so she did.

The resourceful young woman entered graduate school. She managed to juggle the demands of parenting and her studies, and four years later, she graduated with a doctorate in Educational Psychology. Shortly before graduation, she met a kind-hearted young man, a school teacher. They fell in love. When she landed an associate professorship in another state, he followed her. They were married. The kind-hearted man loved her children as his own. Her career blossomed. The next few years were happy ones.

Then the kind-hearted young man fell ill. It was lung cancer. He fought to live, his wife by his side. She somehow managed to hold all the strands of her life together during this heart-wrenching time. But the disease was relentless. He died at thirty-nine. Drained and broken-hearted, she had no choice but to carry on.

The woman threw herself into her career. She became a full professor, a published researcher, and then a department head. All the while, she encouraged her children, instilling values of academic achievement and career goals. The four little girls grew up, attending college and then graduate school in their chosen fields. The girls married, one after the other, and the woman soon became a grandmother. There would be six grandchildren in all.

The woman made a career move, taking her clear across the country and away from her beloved daughters and grandchildren. It was the right choice. Her career thrived. But she was lonely. After a few years she met a man, a retired attorney. The relationship lasted a dozen years but they never married. The time came to retire. She moved back east to be near her family. She wanted to see her grandchildren grow up.

She still taught a few courses here and there. She wrote a poetry book. One of her poems was published in the popular anecdotal collection Every Woman Has A Story. She fell in love again. She lost her love again. She narrowly survived the recent floods. And her story continues. It is a story of love, strength, and courage in the face of adversity. It is a story of inspiration. It is my mother's story.

                             GROWING UP RICH

                                     c2003

                               For My Mother

A fancy box of chocolates on Valentine's Day

A pretty new dress for Easter Sunday;

Clothes stitched with love on your sewing machine

A whimsical costume each Halloween;

Piano lessons, ballet classes, and shiny tap shoes

Proud recitals, ribboned slippers, and tulle tutus;

Sunday drives, summer cookouts, going to swim

A turkey each Thanksgiving, a Christmas tree to trim;

Birthday parties, presents, wrapped in a mother’s TLC

Your praise and encouragement, believing in me;

Hand-me-down bikes, and sometimes, hand-me-down clothes

You did your very best, goodness knows!

A wealth of compassion and integrity

Yes, we grew up rich, my sisters and me.