Mother's Milestone

My mother has reached a milestone today as she celebrates her 85th birthday. Marion Lucille Reynolds was born March 29, 1924, in Camden, Arkansas, the third child of Robert Nason and Mary Belle Belin Reynolds. She married my father, Thomas Benton Walker, on March 26, 1944, just three days shy of her 20th birthday. They were married for 62 years and raised three children.

I can't imagine having a better mother if I had picked her myself. For most of my growing up, she was a stay-at-home mom, and when she did start to work, it was in my grandfather's construction company office that was in his basement just next door.

Not that she could have gone anywhere if she wanted to. If she wanted the car, she had to take Daddy to work, and after I turned 16, I would sometimes take him to work so I could drive the car to school. So she was stuck at home or at work in the "office," unless, that is, she was at circle meeting or playing Bridge.

I don't remember Mother nagging me much while I was growing up. If she did, it was to tell me to hold my shoulders up or I would "look just like Aunt Hedy." And she would sometimes remind me not to spoil my supper.

Mother shares my passion for the Arkansas Razorbacks. In fact, I think she probably yells louder than I do. I know she gets more nervous than I do before and during games. Growing up, I can remember lying awake on a Saturday night while Mother and Daddy were listening to the Razorback football game in the living room. I would be very quiet so I could hear the game through my bedroom wall, and I could finally go to sleep after the Hogs won.

Mother still roots for the Razorbacks, and she still plays Bridge. She also started following the Atlanta Braves a few years back when most of their games were on WTBS. She's still a Braves fan, but she doesn't get to see as many games on TV as she once did, so she's learned to check the score on the computer. And whenever something goes haywire on the computer, I can count on getting a call, particularly when one of her grandchildren has been around and signed her out of her Yahoo homepage.

So Happy Birthday, Mother. Wish I could be there to celebrate with you.