My Mother’s Birthday

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Today is the ninety-fifth anniversary of my mother’s birth. Her name was Dorothy Pearl Haught, and she was born April 4, 1915, to Horace and Annie (Johnson) Haught in Hitson, Texas (just outside of Hamlin).

She was the oldest of several brothers and sisters and had to quit school while still quite young to help support the family. After she married, she had four children, two daughters and two sons (in that order).

She worked (and worked hard) all of her life, mostly as a server in taverns and restaurants. (If you eat out today, consider being generous to your server.) She died in 1972 at the early age of fifty-seven after a long bout with cancer.

She liked to laugh, to fish, and to spend time with her family.

I remember a time when I was very young. I was waiting with Mom at a bus stop on a wintry day. Snow covered the streets and was still falling. A harsh wind was blowing, and its chill seemed to cut through me, leaving me shivering and unbearably cold. I know that Mom was uncomfortable, too, but she didn’t complain. She simply unbuttoned her coat and drew me into its warm and protective covering. With her arms around me and my little body next to hers, I no longer felt the  cold. If asked what image best describes her, I would say that she was like a tall and sturdy tree, unmoveable, sheltering me from the bitter elements of life — not only on this ocassion but on many others. I loved her then; I love her still.

Happy birthday, Mom!

Photo Credit: Misty Sunrise by Rick Harrison

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9 Responses to “My Mother’s Birthday”

  1. Carol Webb Says:
    April 4, 2010 at 9:37 pm

    Beauatiful, Ike!

  2. Cheri Armstrong Says:
    April 5, 2010 at 11:12 am

    I wish I could have known this special lady. I imagine there is a lot of her in you Ike.

  3. Vicki Byrd Says:
    April 5, 2010 at 11:27 am

    Thanks for sharing your sweet memories!

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