Lisa Y put out a challenge. Write about momma. Such an easy task, I thought. I have been reduced to a puddle of emotions when writing about the woman I revere most in my life. My Ma.
She didn't want me. That's how I started out in this life. Daddy wanted me. Ma wanted daddy to stop drinking. They compromised. He got me and she got him to stop drinking. She says she wouldn't have given me up the second she laid her eyes on me. She has never given up on me. Clumsy as I have been throughout this life, Ma has always steadied me. She's picked me up dusted me off and set me straight again.
She has been the my most influential teacher. She has taught me everything I ever needed to know in life. She let me learn to cook at age seven, standing tiptoe by the stove. By age nine I was producing gourmet meals. Her pride in the little things in life gave me a good understanding of what it is to strive for to be successful. Family is the backbone of life. She lives that, and showed me how to as well. Huge family gatherings three or four times a year, babies and old folks, always welcomed. During these times you can't walk through Ma's house at night without tripping on someone. People laid out sleeping in every room. Love and laughter in the moment is Ma's forte'.
She was standing next to me when my children were born. She was standing next to me when my grandchildren were born. She is the foundation of our family. As we grow older the bond between us has strengthened. We are best friends first now, mother and daughter second. There is nothing that my mother doesn't know about me and yet, she remains my biggest fan.
Ma is 69 in November. Her will and tenacity has served her well. She is quirky, adorable, fun and beautiful. I am proud to be able to say I am Shirley Butcher's daughter.
