Mother's Day Has Come And Gone Too Quickly

Mother's Day has come and gone. Therein lies the problem. For 24 hours we celebrate our moms with the regal attention they deserve. We thank them for all things great and small they have given to us throughout our lives. We thank them for what they have done for us. It is always about us. On Mother's Day we give them much more attention than most other days. We may or may not actually plan in advance and purchase special cards and gifts and have them delivered in a timely manner. I am happy to report that I planned in advance. It is a lesson I learned from my mother. She is the most generous individual I have ever known. Her generosity is not saved for special holidays. She is in a constant state of giving. She possesses a strong work ethic and amazing sense of humor. She is a member of the greatest generation. She works hard and never complains. Her unconditional love is something to be relied upon and treasured. She was an unbelievably loving wife and daughter. She is the matriarch of our family and reigns in that role with the strength,love,compassion,intellect and humor that I witnessed in her mother. As much as she loved Bear Bryant, I assume she will approve if I call her a Mama Bear. I thought her love of her children was insurmountable  and it is. But her love of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren is a thing to behold. To simply say that she loves all of us is an understatement. She holds the title of second-mom and adopted mom to many. She is the favorite aunt,cousin,neighbor,relative and mentor to others. She has worked in many positions from her first job at a drugstore in Birmingham,Alabama to her work during WWII in Birmingham plants initially at Rheem on a war project working with oily messy shell casings to her next position at the Bechtel-McCone airplane modification plant in the same city. She worked there on the B29 superfortress bombers pulling out substandard non-fireproof wiring from the planes. This work at these plants by women including my mother resulted in the nickname: Rosie the Riveter. She worked in many other jobs including her managing and directing of the college bookstore for decades. But no job was messier,harder or more challenging than that of mother. Nor did she love any job more. She still does. She never complains. She asks for little and deserves much. She is and has always been a good and true friend. She is a wonderful confidante to many. She is loyal and attentive. She is fun. She loves a good road trip. She loves to read,travel and learn. She is a life-long learner. She loves to watch the University of Alabama play football. She loves cats especially her current companion,Sparky. She makes a killer Lane Cake and chicken salad and fried chicken and...the list goes on and on. She is truly religious in the most private, personal and nonjudgmental way. She is a person of tremendous faith who lives by example. She loves movies and television shows and conversations. She loves her hometown of Guin,Alabama and her home state of Alabama and her home in Albany,Georgia. I love to hear her laugh and she loves to laugh. She is my friend. She has my respect,admiration and love. I celebrate her every day.