Yesterday would have have been my mother's 83 birthday.
It's tough to accept that she's been gone from us since November 2001. Very often I still expect to pick up the phone to get a quick recipe, or point out something on TV that she would've liked to see. Oh, sorry if this distinctive green is hard to read, but it was Mom's favorite color.
Mom's encyclopedic knowledge of our greatly extended family never ceased to amaze me. She knew the full names and birth-dates of every aunt, uncle, and cousin. Not that there wasn't an occasional mystery about my mom. For instance, she always called my cousin Kay by the name of "Kay Frances." I always heard her say that while I was (sort of ) growing up. The puzzle is, that "Frances" is not Kay's middle name!
So, Thelma Jean Belew Powell retains a pinch of enigma to mix with her photographic memory and exceedingly kind and loving nature. She was also stubborn and strong-willed and didn't seem to be afraid of anything. Through her long illnesses she always displayed remarkable bravery.
Mom encouraged my imagination and would return with a comic book for me every time she and Dad went to the drugstore. We even watched Dark Shadows together, after I got home from elementary school. She always believed hard work could accomplish anything, and taught me never to give up. Everyone seems to have loved her.
I sure did. And I still do. More than ever.
Sure do miss you, Mom.
I loved this woman with all my heart and soul. She was the best Aunt anybody could have ever wanted. I miss her, too. Yes, Martin. She was definitely proud of who you are. And I know she's proud of who you've become. God Bless her and you.
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