Memories Of Mama
My mother Helen Smith was a True Mother, a strong courageous woman. She was my best friend and my rock. As Mothers Day approaches, and her birthday, I find myself missing her really badly.
My mom was a praying practical woman. She helped raise the neighborhood of kids. There was a family that lived behind us, the kids used to come over all the time. The didn't have a car, we did. I cannot count the number of times she drove the boys to the hospital, for the cuts and scrapes that boys have. I know because I was the one that rode with her. While she drove, I held a damp cloth over a cut, until we got to the hospital. When the baby got sick, and the mother brought their hospital card and the baby over for my mom to take to the hospital. I held the baby while she drove. When we would have lunch, whoever was at the house ate too. We didn't have a lot of money. My dad had a regular job and worked at night as a janitor to make sure we had evrything we needed.
When we were born with albinism, she and my dad pledged to do what ever it took to take care of us. We have low vision. It was important to my mom for us to be able to take care of ourselves. We had to wash dishes, dust, clean the bathroom, learn to do laundry and cook. She didn't make allowances for us, because we didn't see well. I don't know how she did it, but she taught me to sew.
Thread the needle and sew. I do most of the mending for the family and myself as well. When I was a little girl, I was quite shy and timid. When Christmas and Easter came around, I always had a "Speech" to say at church. That was so I would know how to talk in front of people. This came in handy later. One time my mom saw me running behind some who was riding a bike. She made me learn how to ride, along with the neighbor girl. When I was in the fifth grade, they brought a tape recorder to class, eveybody was afraid to talk into it. I did, I gave a book report. I fell in love with recording my voice and playing around with sound. When I was twelve, I got my first tape recorder.
My mom was something else, I had several friends who had babies at a young age. She didn't want me to do that so she brought me dolls up until I was 19. Some of the dolls I gave away to the neighbors later. She encouraged me to learn how to type and do things for my self. There were times, she tried to help me find a babysitting job. When I was 19 I worked for a midwife, who needed someone at her house. Babies are always born in the middle of the night. I stayed with the kids and got them off to school. When that job was almost over I got a call to work 20 hours a week at the local radio station. My mom had a friend who worked there and said they needed some help. I remember the day I went for that interview. My mom took me shopping for the right clothes, even a raincoat.
Everything had to be just right. When I got the job, she said do more than whats exxpected of you. Be early and know twice as much as you need to. Learn eberything you can. This is what I did all thirty three years of work there.
It didn't matter what shift, I was scheduled to work, or what the weather was, my mom drove me to work until she got sick. When it was time to be out on my own, we drove around in the evenings looking for real estate. One evening I saw the house I live in now. There was a sign in the yard. The next day I called the bank and they give me the keys to look at it. She fell in love with it as soon as she came in the door. She helped me paint and fix it up,
My mom drove me all over Southrn West Virginia, even Gilbert and Kopperston. When the job required me to go somewhere and there was no on else to take me she did. I have to laugh, I was at a planning meeting in 1988 for Washington for Jesus and I wanted to get an interview with John Gimmenez, she walked up to him and said my daughter wants to interview you.
When I got married, she gave me martial advice. Don't take it personally, all men are goofy in some form. They do crazy stuff at times, like when they have a new shirt on they will change the oil in the car. When they go out you have to make sure they look presentable. Practical stuff.
My mom walked by faith a lot. She insisted in giving tithes and offerings. She was practical. She used to drive my sister to work over in Fayette county. That is when she adopted her signature verse,"No weapon formed against me shall prosper". She had it over the sunvisor in her car. She would tell me that when things would get tough at work.
When she got cancer I broke down and cried, because she was such a great lady. She even handled the cancer with grace. It was when she couldn't do any of the personal things for herself, she got tired. She fought the fight for seven years. November 9, 2008, we were all there together on a Sunday afternoon and we had a good day. She was talking to us. My sister had made some soup and she ate it. We had a really great day. The next morning while I was at work, my dad called and said he was taking her to the hospital, and then he broke down and said "I think she's gone". My mind began to race to find somebody to take me to the hospital, I finally started calling until I got a ride. I was hoping it wasn't true. My mind began to go into function mode, I kept thinking this is a bad dream.. Until I saw her on what the old folks call the cooling board. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't, she was still warm, but she wasn't there anymore. She didn't have to suffer anymore. I thought about a song I had played called "Joshua's Song." "I know you're getting weary from the battle come home and rest a little while."
Sunday would be her birthday and I miss her. I haven't had a woman to go shopping with. She helped me so much. The day I lost my job, I could hear her say 'Let them have the job, it isn't worth it. Everything will be alright."
Her favorite songs were "Remind Me Dear Lord" and "Your Cries Have Awoken The Master." Helen Smith, she made me who I am, Buzz Keller had a song Mothers Song, I think of it when I think of her.
My mom was a praying practical woman. She helped raise the neighborhood of kids. There was a family that lived behind us, the kids used to come over all the time. The didn't have a car, we did. I cannot count the number of times she drove the boys to the hospital, for the cuts and scrapes that boys have. I know because I was the one that rode with her. While she drove, I held a damp cloth over a cut, until we got to the hospital. When the baby got sick, and the mother brought their hospital card and the baby over for my mom to take to the hospital. I held the baby while she drove. When we would have lunch, whoever was at the house ate too. We didn't have a lot of money. My dad had a regular job and worked at night as a janitor to make sure we had evrything we needed.
When we were born with albinism, she and my dad pledged to do what ever it took to take care of us. We have low vision. It was important to my mom for us to be able to take care of ourselves. We had to wash dishes, dust, clean the bathroom, learn to do laundry and cook. She didn't make allowances for us, because we didn't see well. I don't know how she did it, but she taught me to sew.
Thread the needle and sew. I do most of the mending for the family and myself as well. When I was a little girl, I was quite shy and timid. When Christmas and Easter came around, I always had a "Speech" to say at church. That was so I would know how to talk in front of people. This came in handy later. One time my mom saw me running behind some who was riding a bike. She made me learn how to ride, along with the neighbor girl. When I was in the fifth grade, they brought a tape recorder to class, eveybody was afraid to talk into it. I did, I gave a book report. I fell in love with recording my voice and playing around with sound. When I was twelve, I got my first tape recorder.
My mom was something else, I had several friends who had babies at a young age. She didn't want me to do that so she brought me dolls up until I was 19. Some of the dolls I gave away to the neighbors later. She encouraged me to learn how to type and do things for my self. There were times, she tried to help me find a babysitting job. When I was 19 I worked for a midwife, who needed someone at her house. Babies are always born in the middle of the night. I stayed with the kids and got them off to school. When that job was almost over I got a call to work 20 hours a week at the local radio station. My mom had a friend who worked there and said they needed some help. I remember the day I went for that interview. My mom took me shopping for the right clothes, even a raincoat.
Everything had to be just right. When I got the job, she said do more than whats exxpected of you. Be early and know twice as much as you need to. Learn eberything you can. This is what I did all thirty three years of work there.
It didn't matter what shift, I was scheduled to work, or what the weather was, my mom drove me to work until she got sick. When it was time to be out on my own, we drove around in the evenings looking for real estate. One evening I saw the house I live in now. There was a sign in the yard. The next day I called the bank and they give me the keys to look at it. She fell in love with it as soon as she came in the door. She helped me paint and fix it up,
My mom drove me all over Southrn West Virginia, even Gilbert and Kopperston. When the job required me to go somewhere and there was no on else to take me she did. I have to laugh, I was at a planning meeting in 1988 for Washington for Jesus and I wanted to get an interview with John Gimmenez, she walked up to him and said my daughter wants to interview you.
When I got married, she gave me martial advice. Don't take it personally, all men are goofy in some form. They do crazy stuff at times, like when they have a new shirt on they will change the oil in the car. When they go out you have to make sure they look presentable. Practical stuff.
My mom walked by faith a lot. She insisted in giving tithes and offerings. She was practical. She used to drive my sister to work over in Fayette county. That is when she adopted her signature verse,"No weapon formed against me shall prosper". She had it over the sunvisor in her car. She would tell me that when things would get tough at work.
When she got cancer I broke down and cried, because she was such a great lady. She even handled the cancer with grace. It was when she couldn't do any of the personal things for herself, she got tired. She fought the fight for seven years. November 9, 2008, we were all there together on a Sunday afternoon and we had a good day. She was talking to us. My sister had made some soup and she ate it. We had a really great day. The next morning while I was at work, my dad called and said he was taking her to the hospital, and then he broke down and said "I think she's gone". My mind began to race to find somebody to take me to the hospital, I finally started calling until I got a ride. I was hoping it wasn't true. My mind began to go into function mode, I kept thinking this is a bad dream.. Until I saw her on what the old folks call the cooling board. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't, she was still warm, but she wasn't there anymore. She didn't have to suffer anymore. I thought about a song I had played called "Joshua's Song." "I know you're getting weary from the battle come home and rest a little while."
Sunday would be her birthday and I miss her. I haven't had a woman to go shopping with. She helped me so much. The day I lost my job, I could hear her say 'Let them have the job, it isn't worth it. Everything will be alright."
Her favorite songs were "Remind Me Dear Lord" and "Your Cries Have Awoken The Master." Helen Smith, she made me who I am, Buzz Keller had a song Mothers Song, I think of it when I think of her.
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