Mama

  

Last night at work I took care of a patient who was 12 and was quite ill.  Her mother was mentally challenged.  Luckily she had a grandmother to lean on.  It made me think about how blessed I have been having my mama.  Actually I have been thinking this for years now but this incident prompted me to actually express my feelings.  Mama will be 97 this year.  She is staunchly independent and still lives alone.  She was 46 when I was born.  Our family is rather unique in that there's 25 years age difference between me and my oldest sister.  I have a brother and two sisters that never lived in the house when I did.  I do have two sisters that were older, that I grew up with.  My dad worked hard his whole life as a construction worker.  Mama stayed home with us.  I often wondered what she did all day.  I couldn't imagine being a stay at home mom until my kids came along and then I began to realize the importance of it.  Mama took care of everything at home for Daddy.  All he had to do was to go to work.  Mama managed all the money, us kids, daddy, cooking- everything.  All six of us have college degrees and are productive members of society.  Mama had 6 kids and now has 11 grandkids and 16 great grand kids and even a great great grandchild (That's 5 generations apart).  She has lived in the same house in Memphis for over 40 years.   I haven't always agreed with my mama but she has been a rock for me in my life.  She has encouraged me, loved me, taught me scolded me when I needed it.  I can remember her saying "If I can just live long enough to get Helen through high school- then college"  She never expected to live a long life because she had experienced so many deaths in her and Daddy's family.  How blessed I have been to still have her. She has gotten to witness my kids growing up.   She is really a rock of stability in my life and I can only thank God for her every single day.