MOM

My mom was a dental assistant before I was born. She worked throughout her pregnancy with me. As soon as I was born, she stayed home with me. I love her for that. She was there for my first smile, my first words, my first step (that was a long wait because I didn't walk til I was 16 months old or older). My foot had to be put in a cast shortly after I was born because it was bent back so my toes touched my shin. I could talk a streak but couldn't walk for a long time.

All my friends, but two, had moms that stayed home. The kids who had moms who worked were still great kids. But, I remember being so glad to have my mom home when I was little. My brothers and sisters and I always yelled, "MOM" when we walked through the door. She got quite a kick out of that and often wondered what we would think if she wasn't there when we called. She tried an experiment and hid in the basement with the tape recorder running upstairs when she saw my brother Phil coming home. He walked in, called for her, called again and then said, "Hell! Damn!". We had many a laugh over that tape. He loved having a greeting from his mom just like we all did.

Funny how I still love to go home and the first thing I yell is "MOM?" Dad hates that, so sometimes I mix it up and call for him first. But, there is nothing quite so nice as having a mom answer you back. I gave my kids a gift they really appreciated and still do. I stayed home. It wasn't easy. Sometimes I had to shut myself in my room for some needed privacy. Sometimes I took long walks or drives when daddy got home. I was lucky there were no extenuating circumstances that caused me to have to work outside the home. Early on, we had some very lean years with one car and a big mortgage. But, life has been good.