It's Mother's Day and I hope if your mom is still around, you have honored her. My mom is seated in front of my family in this photo taken almost three years ago on her 85th birthday. She will be 88 this June and is still doing well. The others in the picture are my wife, daughters, and son-in-law. Mom has always been a big part of our lives. My dad died when he was forty six years old, and my mom, then a full time house wife, had to take the reins of a suddenly run away wagon. She retrained, got a job, sold and bought two houses and got things under control. Later, after she was fifty, she returned to school and finished her Bachelor and Masters degrees and taught school. I wrote a poem about her some years ago because she really is a Steel Magnolia.THE MYSTERY OF THE FLOWER
She was the Belle of Jeff Davis County.
Stunning to the beholder.
Long haired brunette
with more curves than a mountain highway.
She was raised in the traditions of the South.
Never leave the house without your make-up.
Always dress to the nines.
Her wide brimmed hats shadowed her face
to add to the mystery.
She learned to be strong and silent in adversity.
A player in a man’s world.
Influential, but not obtrusive.
Beautiful, but powerful.
She remains the same today.
Never making an appearance until her face is fixed.
Her hair shows no gray.
Graceful and fragrant like the Magnolia’s blossom.
But make no mistake,
her resolve is steel.
