Let me tell you about mom. My mother was ( always mom to us ) was the second of four kids. She was born Frances Katrina on Aug 11th but because her brother could not say Katrina, she became known as Tena. Mom spent most of her youth growing up in and around the orange groves of central Florida where her family made their living. She had two brothers and a sister and was blessed with a loving family. Mom's family worked hard but had time for fun too. The hundreds of lakes around the area assured plenty of great fishing and there was always time for a little swimming. But caution was required and one always needed to be on watch for alligators. My mom and her older brother like to tell the story about how they caught a baby gator, raised him under the porch of their house and walked him on a leash, rode on him when he was older and even took him on swimming trips with them. (I had this story corroborated by several independent parties)
Church was always a huge part of mom's life. The lived within sight of their church, just across the tracks about a 1/4 mile away. She met my dad there. He was a young G.I. from N.E. Georgia stationed at the Air Force base across town. Dad was drawn to that church by the Quartet music group and radio program they had. Dad joined that group and about that same time so did mom. They sang together every week live on the radio and sometimes elsewhere. They even recorded a record. Mom and dad got married and started a family. Being an Air Force wife meant mom had to leave her family and go with dad where ever he was sent. I had not started school by the time we were sent to Denver. The nearest we ever lived to her home again was Fort Worth, Texas. But we made plenty of trips across the nation to visit.
One of my mother's biggest challenges was when dad got sent to Guam. And she had to pack us kids and travel 9497 miles over 4 days including 42 hours in the air..alone. This was pre-gameboy and pre-movie propeller driven flights. We lived in Jungles, and deserts. In Places where the temp soared to 115 and dropped to -35 filled with shoulder deep snow. Places where we knew no one. A situation that never lasted long. She became the neighborhood mom. A cub scout mom and the "cool " mom to everyone. The neighborhood kids stayed at our house most days.
Over the years mom worked outside the home in a few jobs. Especially after my sister and I got older. She worked for California Baptist College and later after dad returned to civilian life in the county courthouse near where they still live. Mom spent years working for a developer and running the private utility company they had. Later she retired after years working for a local dentist as a book keeper.
Mom stayed active in church too. And kept on singing. She sang in a missionary quartet group with dad while we were overseas. And after he retired from the service they sang with a gospel music group, traveling around in a bus for 27 years. It became a way of life for me, dad and her.
My mom is retired now. But still does things with church, and the community. She "den mothers" the third generation of our clan to travel and sing in churches.
My mom taught me about 500 million things, but mostly she taught me to love God, family and others in that order. My mother and father live about 30 minutes away and I don't spend the time with them I should, but I Cherish ever moment together, and I praise God every day for a mother (and father ) like I got. A mother who loves no matter what.
I love you too mom. Thanks.