A day to thank mothers

It's Mother's Day " what a wonderful time set aside to honor and celebrate our mothers. Whether they're still living or deceased, our thoughts are all about them today. Even though my mother was very busy with seven children, she made time to be with each of us and I always knew she loved me. As soon as we got home from school each day we would have a snack to eat and then sit at the kitchen table and do our homework. When we were finished we would go outside and play.

Every day Mom washed our clothes on our old wringer washer, hung them out on the line to dry and then ironed them. All of us kids went to a Catholic school and Mom packed our lunches every day. They weren't always delicious, especially the tomato sandwiches that always seemed to have a hole in the bottom of the brown paper sack. But I would eat them anyway because I was hungry.

With four boys and three girls, sometimes there were disagreements. Well, maybe more than disagreements, sometimes there were battles, especially with the boys. Our mother threatened to use a fly swatter on them, or worse, she would put our names on the blackboard in the kitchen. Then when Daddy came home from work he would yell at anyone whose name was on the blackboard. That sure would scare me so I was a very good little girl.

On the day that I graduated from eighth grade with all A's on my report card, my mother let me celebrate. I asked her if I could ride home on the fender of our car. No, but I did get to ride on the fender for the last half-block on our dirt road. All the neighborhood kids were cheering for me " until Mom made a sharp right turn and I fell off the car and broke my ankle. The doctor put a cast on my right leg and a week later our whole family crammed inside the old car and took off on our summer vacation: Tent camping on the American River. I had to stick my leg out the window all the way from Pacoima to Placerville. My mother was such a good sport with all us kids.

When I grew up and had my first baby, Mom was there to help me. It was a bit scary because our baby Lisa was born two months premature and she had to stay in the hospital incubator for seven weeks. But raising kids was old hat to my Mom. She also knew how to make the best apple pies in town. My dad sliced up the apples while Mom made the crust. It was kind of tough, not flaky or delicate, but we all loved it.

My mother died young, just 69, and I still think of her every day. Now, even though my mother can't be by my side when the storms of life are raging, the memory of her and her love for me helps me know that everything will be OK. God bless all mothers everywhere.

n Linda Monohan may be reached at 782-5802.