Just recently

I dreamed of sustaining a major injury to my arm. I was told it would

be weeks before I could use the arm again. I was devastated. In the dream,

I sought out my mother because she would be able to provide the solace

and balm I needed so desperately in my spirit. And, bingo, there she was

in my dream to comfort and love. Mama was with me in my dream! An old

adage says that God couldn't be every place all the time so he created

mothers. Why not?

As we near

Mother's Day, I want to pay tribute to all mothers, but particularly,

to my mother who already has taken residence in heaven for several years.

"Mother"

and food seem to go together like a horse and buggy. It was a special

treat to come home from school having the house filled with the flavor

of freshly baked teacakes. Teacakes were our favorite at that time since

we didn't know anything about chocolate chip cookies. We probably couldn't

afford the ingredients for the latter with all the butter, chocolate,

and nuts required. Teacakes were simple, sweet, and delicious.

When one of

my mother's children got sick, there was another special treat. Mama would

"fix" some gruel. Gruel consisted of a little meal cooked in

milk flavored, perhaps, with small cubes of country ham. It was worth

getting sick to eat mama's gruel. As good as it was, we never had it unless

we were sick. But, it hit the spot. Mama knew.

My mother was

a strong woman. Strong in faith. Mama knew the Bible better than I will

ever know it. Mama lived the Bible. Of course, better than I will ever

hope to. My memory will forever be etched with Mama getting on her knees

to pray before slipping into her bed for sleep. Night after night. Her

faith was not spigot faith like so many today, off and on. She was consistent.

After my father's

death, Mama and I would often visit my sister living in Atlanta (we lived

in Columbus, Georgia). We would spend Saturday night, but get up early

enough to get back in time for Sunday School the next day. She was a loyal

soldier in the army of the Lord and never abandoned her station.

As we would

be making our way to church and as we crossed the railroad tracks, Mama

would instruct, "Throw out your gum." She just didn't believe

in chewing gum in church. And the railroad tracks always meant: "Time

to spit out your gum." To this day, every time I cross those same

tracks, I think, "Time to spit out the gum."

You see, Mama

took her children to church. She didn't send them. In my doctoral thesis,

I acknowledged with gratitude my mother "who took me to church."

When driving long distances, we would have hymn singings, I remember.

It's something that I was able to pass along to my daughter. Imagine passing

the time by singing hymns. What wealth!

Mama never

made her children guess where she was. If she was not in one place, we

knew the place she was. In fact, we as children never had to wonder where

our mother and father were. To make ends meet, Mama babysat. In fact,

she had a very honored reputation as a babysitter. When Major John Eisenhower

was stationed at Fort Benning, Mama was entrusted with babysitting the

Eisenhower children (grandchildren of the sitting president at that time).

My Mama changed David Eisenhower's diaper.

The rest of

the story: years and years later and when we lived in San Clemente, Calif.,

my wife and I visited a Chinese restaurant. As we walked in, I spotted

David and Julie Eisenhower. I just had to go up, introduce myself, and

make the connection. Of course, they both were gracious even as I interrupted

their meal. You see, Mama made my 15 seconds brush with fame possible.

Now, although

she was the perfect mother, I was in no way the perfect son. As a second

grader about to leave for school, I had a heated argument with Mama. So

heated, I yelled out, "I wish you were dead." That afternoon,

upon arriving from school and having forgotten the morning argument, I

walked in the front door and called out, "Mama." Her voiced

answered from the bedroom. I went