Mom, Moma, Ma, Mother

  Mom, Moma, Ma, Mother known to her children. MadLENE to her siblings and her mother. She loved her family. Her parents, her siblings, and her children. She had a special place in her heart for her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

How did she do it, I have heard many ask? Raise eight children, many by herself. She didn't have all the right answers. How many parents do? She raised them the best she knew how, she did it her way. Life in North Nobleboro, where she raised her children was very busy, hectic, bordering on madness. It took an even hand from her and Dad to rear eight very busy children.

"You kids go outside!" she would yell. Now as a parent I understand why she sent us out. She too, like myself as a parent, needed some quiet time to herself. We were good kids, because our parents cared. When we made mistakes we had to pay. Moma did her very best to teach us to be respectable citizens.

We didn't have much, sometimes having to wear hand me downs so they could make ends meet. Some how they managed to put food on the table, clothes on our backs and a roof over our heads, eight kids. Both parents worked hard to provide for us. She would cook, clean, iron our clothes, make our beds and take care of us, plus go to her eight hour a day job.

Christmas time was always a special time for her. She would always try to provide the best Christmas for us kids. I heard that she and dad had to borrow money at times to give us the best Christmases that they could. I will always remember the Christmases of past as a special time thanks to her.

Mom was our doctor and our nurse, bandaging up our bumps and bruises. She soak our feet in Epsom salt when we cut or drove pitch forks in them. Checked our temperatures when we felt a little hot. Took out splinters when we needed all the while giving us tough love preparing us for the world ahead.

She was patient with me during my first year in school. She knew that I was a Moma's boy, who hated to leave her skirt. She knew when to be tough on me getting me on the bus and easy allowing me a adjust to this change in my life. She did this many times with all of us. Allowing us to adjust, just applying enough pressure to see it through. Though she didn't often show her emotions, her actions showed her love. It took me until this period in life to see this.

I can remember the many times going to her house to help her out. Mowing the lawn, cutting and spiting wood. Or just to visit and fill her bird feeders. She would have the TV on watching her favorite team the Red Sox. How she loved and faithfully watched that team. She was so excited when she got to see the Sox win the World Series!

Mother was a small person but she was big both in personality and toughness. She never allowed anything to get the best of her. She would never sugar coat things telling us just how it was. The way it was. She was honest, brutally honest at times. She was the toughest woman I have known. She laid the foundation making me the man I am today I am amazed by her strength. When we told her she could no longer drive her car, she fought us back. She battled cancer for a long time and fought valiantly going down swinging. She was a champ!

I owe Ma so much for her sacrifices for me. I will never be able to repay her. The most important gift that she gave me was the gift of God. Allowing me to grow in my youth as a Christian. I owe partly to her my eternal life. Thank you Moma, for such a great gift!

You never fully appreciate people in your life, until they are gone. It only takes a short period of time to see this and realize just how important she was to me. I will miss my Mom, Moma, Ma, Mother, but will wait patently until we meet again in heaven. I will never forget you and will cherish my memories that I have with you forever. May you rest in peace in heaven surrounded by God and your loved ones, enjoying love and happiness for eternity.