Memories of My Mother

My mother has been on my mind a lot for the last few months. I have always called my mother "Mama." It's a southern thing. I never called her mom or mother-- just Mama.

She helped raise three daughters while my father was in the Navy. I'm sure raising three "Navy Brats" in California in the 70's was not always easy! We moved around A LOT! Each time my father was transferred, we would rent a place for a few months and then move onto the base and live in Navy housing. Even though Navy life was hard, her daughters did not end up in jail, on drugs, or pregnant. And today, we hardly ever swear!

My mother had many challenges in this life that really limited her. She had so much difficulty communicating with others. One way my mother was able to communicate was through teasing and joking. I know that that sounds weird, but she knew that we loved her when we paid attention to her and joked around with her. Once in a while we would go too far, but most of the time she would laugh and wag her finger at us, saying "shame on you."

Bonnie and I taught my mother how to say "I love you" in Spanish so she could tell my father she loved him in a different language. Instead of "Te amo mucho," we taught her to say, "Bese me culo" which does NOT mean I love you.

I could convince her of things that couldn't possible happen. I once told her that doctors had changed the length of time a women was pregnant from nine months to eight months-- because nine months was just too long.

I remember thinking that I shouldn't tease her as much, so I stopped for awhile until she asked me if I was mad at her.

Even though my mother could be tricked and teased, she always remained a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. I knew she loved Him and I knew that she spoke with Him often. I remember seeing her earnestly pray for her family every day. Her faith in her Heavenly Father and Savior never ever wavered. She set a wonderful example of always having faith, hope, and charity.

Many people found it difficult to understand Mama. Those who took the opportunity to get to know her loved and adored her!

As I live my life, I hope I can be as faithful and as kind as my dear Mama.