Friday, July 14, 2017

Mama was always there



Little known facts:
1.    As of January 1, 2004, the population of the United States increases by one person every 12 seconds. There is a birth every eight seconds, an immigrant is added every 25 seconds, and a death every 13 seconds.
2.    In the great fire of 1666, half of London was burnt down but only six people were injured.
3.    Toto was paid $125 per week while filming The Wizard of Oz.

And of course there was Mama.
There is, and always has been something special in a mother.  How can you not be close to her after sharing her body for 9 months, huh?  But I forget, not everyone was blessed as Sherry and I.  We had both of our parents for our entire growing years.  Neither of our parents passed away or divorced in our youth, so it is hard for us to put ourselves in the position of our grands and great grands who do not have the same parents, living together.
(I do not have any young pictures of mama, but here she is about 38. This was taken in the forties, I was about 3)
 
In my formative years my friend Guy suffered thru his parents divorcing. I personally only knew of one teen girl who became pregnant and gave birth without a husband.  She was one of the sweetest girls I knew, a good friend and a girl of natural beauty. She was sorta ‘forced’ to put the child up for adoption because of the ‘stigma’ attached in the 1950s.

So I truly enjoyed a wonderful mother. Understanding, long suffering, sweet and resorted to a switch only when she felt there was no choice.  She was a giving person, anyone knocking on our door hungry left satisfied or carrying food.  No one she knew went without shoes or needing clothes. She once gave some of Shirl’s clothes for Missions. When Shirl pointed it out, mama said, “But you can get more, some folk can’t."  That woman had been thru the Great Depression while raising three children. (The rest of us came later).  She knew what it was like to be hungry and needy, so she gave until she died.

She was attentive to others, BUT her children were never neglected.  I have known some folk who were too good for their own good. In other words while helping others they just assumed their kids knew they were loved. BUT that is never good enough. A child NEEDS mama’s attention, enough to know they are special to MOTHER!

Stella and Elsie have enjoyed the waterpark together these two weeks. Back then, Mama made her own water park. She held the garden hose and Shirl and I got to run thru it.  To us nothing could have been better on a hot day. Ever do that?

I knew kids who used the title MOTHER, some used the title MA but in our family she was Mama. Her name was Grace Missouri (Lloyd) Darnell, she was born in 1905-1981.  She has been gone a long time, and I still miss her.
Nite Shipslog

 Th 1951 Merc, one of the most customized 50's cars.

8 comments:

Paula said...

You bring up so many memories in your blogs. We couldn't even have a water park with the hose. Daddy paid the neighbor $2.00 a month for water so he would by no means abuse it. Don't think we even owned a hose. We had so many other things to do we didn't miss the water park.

betty said...

I bet Stella and Ellie have so much fun at the water park! Yep, growing up we would run through the hose on those hot summer days. Moms are the best and our moms are the greatest best (I think I just made up a new adjective). My mom's been gone since 2006, lately I really have been missing her.

Its got to be confusing in households when the biological parents are no longer together and there is a mixture of families under one room, his, hers, theirs, especially for the wee ones that might not know what is going on. Since step grand daughter is spending the summer with her dad in New York, I do wonder if the wee one wonders what happened to her. They do "chat" on Skype (or similar) and he still mimics some of the things she did. I'm sure it will be a joyful reunion in another few weeks.

Son has had a lot friends over the years that have had children with ladies that they haven't necessarily married and are no longer together. They refer to the moms of their children "as my baby's mama". I've learned a whole new language from him :)

betty

Lisa said...

I called my mother, "momma". If i ever said. "Mother", it was usually with a smart elek tone ending with a back handed wack!.
I was fortunate to have parents who stuck together. I remember the water hose and sprinkler fun. The whole neighborhood would come over for that simple water fun.
Today I still call her Mom or momma.
My daughter calls me Mai. Not sure where she got that from but I sorta like it. Its sounds like mommy without the m's.

Happy Saturday
Lisa

Rick Watson said...

This one resonates Jack.

TARYTERRE said...

we had a water park like you did, a hose and a sprinkler.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Life is very different today. It seems getting a divorce is way too easy and I have seen the results of how the children suffer with it. One of my sons has 2 children with one mother and another child with another wife. Divorced 2 times and Married 3. Hopefully this time is the charm. Now a 4th child enters the picture with his newest wife. She had one with her 1st husband. I've love them all. Divorce effects not only the husband and wife but the children and the grandparents too. Really all the family feels the fall out. On the bright side we too were blessed to have a water park right in our back yard. I used to hang the hose from the clothes line while the children ran through it. Funny thing is that these days the community where I live doesn't allow for clothes lines. But I still do have a hose!

Mevely317 said...

You've just resurrected a fun memory, Jack. My freshman year of college we were all so broke, but found plenty of fun sprinting through the neighborhood sprinklers and giggling 'til our sides hurt.

Your mother's example of unselfish love is seriously inspiring. Love how you keep her memory alive through your words!

Dar said...

Mom or Mama is what I call my dear mom. She also goes by Grandma by over 40 grands and great grandloves. Now that's an accomplishment. To this very day, she's still doling out advise to them, and me. At 88, she never misses a beat being 'MOM', it's her job, she says and she's taught us all too well to do the same. I agree totally that every child/adult needs their Mom. Like that song about the way to treat a girl by the McGraws, You better Respect your Mama, respect the hell out of her. She's gone the distance for us.
It's our turn to take care of her the way she'd taken care of us.
love n' hugs from up north where another hay making day is behind us. Life is great!!!