My mother, Evangeline, in red and Aunt Virginia on the whale rock in Spruce Head enjoying their retirement. |
Front and Center, Mama
This tribute to my
mother was written to be read at a party for her 80th birthday. I
was not able to be there. Her birthday was in May, so I offer this to honor her
special day as well as for all the mothers out there on Mother’s Day.
She’s
a woman of few words who believes her role is best played behind the scenes.
Well today is the exception because today your children, grandchildren,
great-grandchildren, husband and other family and friends here today would like
you to step front and center so that we may say..”God Bless You’’ and “Happy 80th
Birthday.”
Mama, you’re the glue that holds this family together.
You taught us our manners.
You
taught us respect.
You
taught us what is right and proper.
You’re
the string around our fingers and the one who pulls most at our heartstrings.
Anyone
who ever said that Yankees are cold and inhospitable never spent any time at
your house. You had four children but adopted four times who knows how many
more. If a guest came to visit more than once, you assumed they really enjoyed
themselves the first time and, therefore, you adopted them and they were no
longer a guest but adopted as one of the family.
And
who can forget all the good food you’ve cooked for us over the years. (Remember
when the pressure cooker blew up down on Mcloud Street?) We all have our
favorites such as:
New
England boiled dinner
Fish
chowder
Potato
salad
Dandelion
greens
Pies:
apple, blueberry, chocolate, rhubarb, lemon meringue, mincemeat (all made with
home-made pie crust by the way).
Roast
pork and baked beans
The
Christmas sweets: peanut butter chocolate balls, full stops.
And
all the Care Packages with squares and whoopee pies in them.
The
remarkable thing is that you can remember what is the favorite specialty of
each of us.
Mama,
you’re a woman of simple pleasures who appreciates the little things—like a
bouquet of wild flowers, humming birds and phoebe birds, or just going to
garage sales. Remember the estate auction on Water Street where you bought all
that stuff in a laundry bag without knowing what was in it for 50 cents! It
contained the pantaloons Nat wore as “something old” for her wedding day;
old-fashioned lace and an old-fashioned black collapsible umbrella?
You
have always wanted your children to enjoy life to the fullest; to experience
new things; to do the best we could with what we had; to take the good with the
bad in life; to let bygones be bygones and go on.
We
won’t forget what we’ve learned from you.
You
commented on the poor shape of an old house we passed once on a back road,
“Look
at that house,” you said. “There’s probably an old couple in there all by
themselves. The place is going to pot and there’s no one to help them keep it
up anymore. There were probably a lot of kids there once and a lot of happy
memories, but they’ve all gone now and the old couple is all alone and
forgotten. So sad.”
Well
let me tell you. That will never happen to you and Daddy. We remember too many
good times. You’ll always be front and center in our hearts.
Have
a happy day with everyone. And have a taste of lobster for me.
Love,
Your daughter, Sandra
A Note: When my mother
was still cooking she made me some fish chowder when I came home to visit. It
was the last meal she ever made for me. It was delicious. Happy Birthday, Mama!
Happy Mother’s Day to
all you mothers out there!
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