The Love of A Mother

My mother was a great storyteller, a master craftsman when it came to sharing childhood memories with her children. Whether poignant, humorous, or instructive, her accounts rang true. She admitted to untruths told, as well as their consequences, and poor decisions made to impress her friends--things I sometimes thought she ought not to tell. And, she provided us a window into her world. We were delighted as she gesticulated and affected foreign accents to tell her story. Here's one Mom told us more than once:

One winter day, she and her friends latched onto the bumper of a bread truck parked nearby. The driver unaware skiers were in tow, pulled away from the curb. The kids had the time of their lives as the truck accelerated. At just the right moment, the other kids let go. But, Mom held on for dear life--she was afraid of falling! She eventually lost her grip and slammed face first on the pavement, thereby breaking her nose.

A neighbor saw the whole thing. She ran to the bleeding child, scooped her up, and carried her home. Mom concocted an explanation along the way. And, Mamaw bought it--Carol had fallen out of a tree! The horrified neighbor, with broken English, interrupted the brouhaha and spilled the beans, "Missi Barnett, Missi Barnett! No fall offa de tree! Fall offa de truck!"

What did we learn from this story? Bumper skiing on icy roads, while exciting, is dangerous. If you do engage in bumper skiing, let go before it's too late. Your mom might believe your little lies, but she will find out the truth. And, your mother has eyes everywhere, not just in the back of her head.

Besides all that, the very fact that Mom took a moment to share this story with us demonstrated her love for her children.