This and That

rocky mountain kids korner
for the kid in all of us

Home • Adventure Stories • Grandpa Davey Speaks • Marlene's This and That • Outdoor Family Fun • Blog

As Mother’s Day approaches, I am reminded of how little, some children seem to know about the person behind the persona. This thought first occurred to me when I moved up here to Montana and began, on occasion, to read the death notices. They are so unlike the monotonous obituaries I had become accustomed to in the burbs. I pondered this notion again, when I read an article about a woman who came to realize that her mother enjoyed dancing and other such frivolity. As my dad would say, she only thought of her mother as chief cook and bottle washer. Sadly, at a later time, I read the obituary of a woman I once knew who was simply described as a housewife, with X number of kids, married to so and so, who attended such and such school. Even though I barely knew her, I knew enough of her to have mustered up a more lively description.

Getting back to reading the obits, many I’ve read here create some of the most heart-warming portraits of deceased mothers. Written by surviving children, these women are portrayed as courageous farmers, visionaries, and women full of vigor. What’s intriguing, is little attention is given to their mother’s education, marital status, or whether she was a housewife or secretary. Naturally, some space is given to these worthwhile matters, as we are all interested in how many kids and grandkids someone has, but the focus is on the individual. Personalities come alive as they are described as avid hikers, exceptional equestrians, nifty knitters, awesome bakers, book lover’s, or simply lovable souls.

Thankfully my mother is alive and well. She is still quite a character at 81. She loves pineapple upside down cake, dancing, watching Lana Turner movies, and her favorite color is green. She’s fond of candy, likes cherries, thinks cussing in movies is abhorrent, but has a mouth like a sailor. She’s honest, outspoken, and thrifty. Married for 54 years, she has 2 children, 5 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren (I think), and attended Nichols High School.

So, who is your mom?

©05/08/09