A Tribute To Moms

I grew up in a very poor household.  My parents were both teachers at a time when teachers pay was some of the lowest in the nation. My mother never let that get in the way of making sure we boys, I had two brothers growing up, always had many of the things we needed and wanted.

I mention this because Mother’s Day is always a time when memories come at me pretty intensely.  There are several clear instances that stand out glaringly about my mother during the time I was growing up.

                                                                         Momma Rickman

When I was 11, I had gone to my dad to ask for a bicycle. I told him that if I had a bike I could get a paper route and bring in a little money.  Dad was a direct spoken, no nonsense, kind of guy and without even a skip in the beat he said, “you know we don’t have money for that kind of thing.”  “If you want a bike, you’ll have find the money yourself.”

Mom was in the kitchen preparing dinner but she overheard my request for the bike.  Mom called me into the kitchen and asked me to help with dinner.  She said she might know a way to get a bike.

The Furr’s supermarket had just announce a bike giveaway a day ago she said.  All you had to do was collect the longest sales receipt ribbon by the deadline, a week from that day, and that person would win the bike.  It was a way to draw more people into the store.  Mom said all we have to do is get the most sales receipts, tape them together, and tape them together.

The issue was our family didn’t go to the store for very much.  We got most of our food from our garden and our almost daily hunting adventures.  Mom began immediately to collect peoples sales receipts from the super market.  She asked all her students to bring in their sales receipts and every night for the week she and I went out to collect receipts from people in the neighborhood and around town.  By the end of the week, the deadline,  mom had taped together our receipt ribbon and it was impressive.  Our ribbon was more than 2 blocks long.  Mom’s efforts won the first of 3 bikes that the super market gave away. Mom and I walked about the three blocks to the market to turn in our ribbon.

The store manager and a bag boy laid out all the entries out in the parking lot of the store.  There were about 10 entries.  Our ribbon was about 10 feet longer than the next longest entry.  I gave mom a huge hug which wasn’t nearly enough for all her efforts.  

The bike was a beautiful red western flyer. I was in heaven and I did get the paper route.

When I was 14, I began to run track competitively. I love to run and it was pretty easy for me.  Mom was my biggest fan and she never missed one of my meets even when she was a bit under the weather.

Everyday before a track meet, mom would make sure that I had a great, healthy meal.  Mostly, she would cook up an Elk steak, with spinach or broccoli.  This always required her to do dinner twice. She never complained.  She’d make dinner for dad and then she would get in the car to get to the meet,  That effort surely made a huge difference in my performance.  I ran the 400 and 800 meters and it never failed, coming around the top of the final turn, I could see Mom standing up in the stands, arms in the air urging me on.  She was always there!

There were always so many instances  that bring smiles to may face but, also make me feel that I never did enough to repay all her love and endless energy.

I’m sharing this because I feel like most Americans never give enough credence to the values of mothers.  It’s really important on Mother’s Day to give “ your “ mother some quality time in your head as well as personal time to show real appreciation.  Your mother, like my mother has helped direct you to whoever you are today.  Show some well-deserved appreciation.  It will help you feel better about you and about life.

“A mother is someone who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.”    Cardinal Mermillod