Mother Mine

My mother likes to play with tools and tractors and gadgets and machinery and that's probably why she became a nurse because they have so many cool toys in the hospitals, all those stethoscopes and otoscopes and oscilloscopes and sphygmomanometers and electrocardiograms and things. But she's also handy with common ordinary household carpentry tools (see proof below) and can hold a board like nobody's business! Because she takes the word 'helpmeet' seriously and has always been ready to help her husband at a moment's notice.

Mom and Judy working on the floor of our house in Atwater

She's always loved kids, which explains why she worked for so many years in the maternity department of the hospital, making sure that those kids coming into the world had the best welcome and the best care ever. Certainly her own got the full benefits of her attention!

Mom with one of her many children.

I really appreciate that she didn't smother her children by trying to do everything for them, but allowed us to take on responsibilities for ourselves so that we didn't become dependent on others to get things done. And she expected a lot from us, both intellectually and physically, whether it was keeping up our grades or getting jobs in high school or helping out around the house with chores. 

I tried to get a close-up but the picture was just too fuzzy!

It had a great affect on me when I was in that 'looking for a life-partner' stage of my life. It is said that men are unconsciously looking for someone like their mother (or someone exactly opposite, depending on the relationship) and there was a lot to that for me. My ideal woman was independent, energetic, creative, a good teacher (especially at church), and always willing to pick up a hammer and work beside her husband, just like my mom. And that's exactly the way it worked!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!