I can remember back when the fast food chain Hardees was running those specials when if you bought a certain meal you received your drink in a real glass. The glass had the cartoon characters, I believe from Warner Brothers. You know the characters I'm talking about like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tazmania Devil, and the others. A new one came out every week. Our cabinets in the trailer we lived in was full of those glasses. Of course you have to understand that when we went, which was normally on Sundays after the church bus dropped Mark (one of my younger brothers) and me off at home, there were at least five to six of us getting glasses.
There was many times when my mom couldn't buy us something, or give us any money, but there was never a time when she failed to feed us. I believe if we ever got to the point where we were hungry and there was no other way, momma would've went into the thickest woods, nastiest pond, or the fastest flowing river to gather food for her children to eat. I know she would've been capable of doing just that.
Momma fed us with more than food, as most moms do, but my mom spooned fed us her love all of her life. She fed us with love, encouragement, correction, and advice. She fed us the difference between right and wrong (not that we always listened, but when we were younger she made sure we listened the second time if you know what I mean) and she fed us the beauty of family. She sometime struggle with that part because we were scattered by age and some by distance, but she still reminded us of the importance of family love. We sometimes fail her and sometimes I believe I hear that little "stsk" noise she made when we did or said something wrong. Age and distance seems to keep the family apart, but momma knows we love one another.
The picture I've shared was taken many years ago. It was one of the few times all of mom's kids were together in one place, probably around Christmas of 1982 or 83. David, Lynn, Owen, me, Mark, J.D., and Lewis. Two of the grandkids are also pictured, possibly David Jr. (David's boy) and Reagan (Lynn's daughter). There were many more grandkids to come.
I believe I hear momma telling us it's time to eat.
