Take some time today
- Thread starter skyraider
- Start date
...true, very true. Being the youngest of 3 children, I miss them sooooo much. As well my older sister.
What I wouldn't give to be able to go see them, hear them, ask them questions, laugh with them, hug and kiss them and tell them what they mean to me and how much I appreciate them.
I miss them both more and more each day, especially my mom. I am proud to say, I was a mamas boy and cherished the ground she walked on.
I was blessed with a double dose of good luck being born to George and Elizabeth. Being "George's boy" was like a get-out-of-jail-free card in the community where I grew up. The Pike County Board of Education chose to rename our local high school gym as Phillips Gymnasium as a tribute when he returned from military service. As a young boy, I was in awe of my father; he seemed indestructible and in constant good cheer. He saw himself as a survivor and nothing more. At home, my dad had a gift for making each of his children feel as though he or she was his particular favorite.
As I grew older, I slowly came to realize the smartest thing my dad accomplished was convincing my mother to marry him. What a monumental charm offensive that must have been. My mother was a city girl, well educated and totally unfamiliar with rural life. Expectations were high. My mom never really adapted well to life in Appalachia, but made the necessary adjustments. She had a quiet dignity and was content to stand in the shadow of a locally revered man. Their love affair lasted until death.
Even more importantly, as I have grown older, the realization became clear that my mother often went underrated. She was smarter in her sleep than any fully awake man I have ever known.
As I grew older, I slowly came to realize the smartest thing my dad accomplished was convincing my mother to marry him. What a monumental charm offensive that must have been. My mother was a city girl, well educated and totally unfamiliar with rural life. Expectations were high. My mom never really adapted well to life in Appalachia, but made the necessary adjustments. She had a quiet dignity and was content to stand in the shadow of a locally revered man. Their love affair lasted until death.
Even more importantly, as I have grown older, the realization became clear that my mother often went underrated. She was smarter in her sleep than any fully awake man I have ever known.
A child's best chance in life starts with an intact nuclear family, meaning both a mother and father in the home.