HAPPY MOTHER's DAY

If you're a Boomer and still have your mom, well then you're blessed just like I am!

I know --- everyone thinks they had the best mom in the world, but I'm so confident that I'd put my mom up against any one's.

She had 9 kids (5 boys & 4 girls) in less than 12 years (no twins). And the 9th baby was born when she was only 34!!

She survived a tough younger life, being one of 8 and living through the Great Depression. We often heard stories about the Depression when for months all she had to eat was bread and tomatoes as well as her life during WWII (the Big One), when downtown St. Louis was open 24 hours a day and she often went out dancing all night!

So today, I'd like to honor her for being the wonderful mom she was and still is. Somehow, she found the time to be there for all 9 of us; often, getting by on as little as 5 hours sleep for days in a row. At one point, we thought she was a short order cook, because if you didn't like what she made for dinner; she'd find the time to make something special for you. And you can just imagine all the loads of wash she did on an old, manual Maytag washer!

At 85, she's in good health, lives at home and cooks for herself. She still enjoys reading and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

So, Boomer friends, take the time today to remember your special mom whether she's still here with you or with God!

Mother's Day

As we celebrate this day, I'm grateful that my mom's still alive. This picture was taken in Oct at her 83rd birthday party.

My mom was one of 8.......then she had 9 kids in less than 12 years (no twins). All you moms know how much work that was!

She often went non-stop from 5 am in the morning to midnight cooking, cleaning and running our household with such efficiency that she could have easily run her own business.......... and all without the benefit of modern day conveniences. I don't know how she survived on so little sleep and still was there for us, whether it was teaching us how to drive or dance.

How Mother's Day became a national holiday is an interesting story. It was started in 1907 by Anna Jarvis when 2 years after her mother's death she held a memorial to her mother. She began a campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday. She finally succeeded in making this a nationally recognized holiday in 1914. The International Mother's Day Shrine was established to commemorate her accomplishment.

But in the 1920s, Anna Jarvis had become soured on the commercialization of the holiday. She actually incorporated herself as the Mother's Day International Association, trademarked the phrases "second Sunday in May" and "Mother's Day", and was once arrested for disturbing the peace. She spent her family inheritance campaigning against the holiday because to her it had become too commercialized.

So give your mom a call and let her know just how much she means to you! And remember, it's still the little things that mean the most to moms.

A Stroll down Memory Lane

with Mom & Aunt Betty

I recently spent a few weeks in St. Louis visiting family and friends. It's always fun to see everyone but it also saddens me because I know it just might be the last time I see my mom or aunts and uncles who are in their 80s and 90s. It's a dismal feeling, because when I was younger I never thought about that at all whenever I made a trip home.

When visiting with my mom, I just love to go through boxes of old pictures with her. It's just so much fun to look over all the significant events in both of our lives and to have a good laugh over some of the 60's and 70's fashion trends. It's also been proven that what psychologists call 'picture therapy' is quite beneficial in helping to keep a senior citizen's memory sharp. It helps them to recall specific events in their lives and discuss those happy times.

Now Uncle Barney, who's almost 91 is really sharp.....he continually impresses me with his computer skills and knowledge of the stock market......so we're always discussing good buys in this depressed market.

I've always found it sad that some people will say they just don't have the time or money to visit older loved ones....but somehow they manage to do it for the funeral.....know what I mean!

So with Mother's Day coming up, I'd just like to encourage you to give older loved ones the best gift you can....the gift of your time!