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On this date, August 7, 1940 my mom was born. Her full name was Linda Beryl Morris and she died in 2004, a few months after turning 64.
Happy Birthday Mom, you would’ve and should’ve been 82 today.
This is her sometime around 1973, on her way to work at Fisher’s Big Wheel. It was our small town’s first “real department store” that opened just a year prior. Mom worked at Fisher’s full-time from 1972 to 1997, while raising 6 kids.
I can still remember the week this store opened, Mom going in and asking for an application. That night at dinner, Dad made a joke about “no woman of his was gonna work outside the home if he could help it”. But when it came to lean times and coal miners strikes, birthdays & Christmases and us kids needing new shoes and school clothes and a hundred other things, that was all her.
Mom spent so little on herself, she was the most unselfish person I’ve ever known.
I really don’t have a lot to say here that hasn’t been said before. Last night while looking through my meager collection of Mom photos (she hated having her picture taken) I did a “Mom” search on my blog to see what pictures of her I’d already used, and was surprised at all the posts written about her over the years. I hope one more is okay.
I thought I’d share this small example of who my mom was. In November 2002, not quite two years after Dad passed, I went down to stay with her a few days for Thanksgiving. (My sister Shawn was hosting our holiday dinner at her house.)
Mom was showing me some of the recent home improvements she’d made, and I noticed a copper-metal sun hanging on her kitchen wall. When I asked where she’d gotten it, she said at a yard sale, it had been almost black with grease.
When I said it looked cool, she told me to take it home with me. I laughed and said “Of course not! Mom you don’t have to give something away just because someone likes it!” She asked me if I was sure I didn’t want it and I said yes, positively. It looked perfect where it was.
When I returned to Pittsburgh 2-3 days later and was unpacking my things, the copper metal sun was hidden down in one of my bags, wrapped in newspaper—with toilet tissue taped around each of the sun’s spires.
It’s hung on three kitchen walls of mine since—and always will. I love you, Mom.
I'd have added Belford Morris, and woke up thinking of her / hoping you had written something. She was everything you said. I miss her every day.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shawn, I debated including her surname but thought it a bit much. Thanks for your comment, I miss her everyday too.
DeleteYou had a very lovely and special mom! Thank you for writing about her.
ReplyDeleteCathy, very sweet of you--thank you. :^)
DeleteShe should have loved having her picture taken for she was a lovely woman, inside and out evidently. That you have such fresh, loving and happy memories of her speaks volumes of the influence she left on you. Love that sun on the wall as a visible reminder.
ReplyDeletePatti, you're a dear friend. Thank you.
DeleteDoug, your Mom was an incredible lady. She was gone way too young.
ReplyDeleteWorking 25 years with six kids, she was a Wonder Woman.
I love that you have the sunshine on your kitchen wall. Lovely to look at and what a beautiful reminder of your Mom.
Take care.❤️
Robin
Well, this just made my day! Robin--you're awesome! Thanks so much my friend. :^)
DeleteWell, that brought some tears to my eyes. She sounds like she would have been a good friend to many, and her kindness about that sun shows what a sweet and giving person she was. Thank you for the sweet remembrance, and happy birthday to her!
ReplyDeleteAnd this almost brought tears to my eyes, thank you DJan. Hey, I also wanted to say that I hope you don't think I was copying your own mom's birthday blog from a week ago. I was planning to write this one about my own mom a couple weeks ago. Our mom's just share birthdays a week apart. 🙂♥️
DeleteWhat a beautiful and poignant story, Doug! She was tough and kind, a great combination. It sounds like you treasure your wonderful memories of her. But she did die way too young! :(
ReplyDeleteThank you Margaret! Those two words, tough and kind summed her up perfectly! I appreciate this. ♥️
DeleteA fine tribute to a wonderful Mom. And her present to you looks mighty fine on your kitchen wall. I'm with Patti on the observation of her photogenic qualities. Happy Birthday, Linda Beryl!
ReplyDeleteThank you Florence! 🙂👍
DeleteWhat a wonderful remembrance of her. I think it is very cool that you have that sun hanging in your home still.
ReplyDeleteThank you Debby, I always like your comments. 🙂
DeleteCool smiley sun. The fun part was how your Mom wrapped it so carefully. Nice memories and lots of stories. (You're one of six? Whew!) You turned out very well. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThis was nice to wake up to on a Monday morning, thank you Linda. You're my second favorite Linda you know. 🙂
DeleteHow lovely of her to hide that sun in your luggage for you. My mum also died in 2004, but she was 78.
ReplyDeleteThanks River, and thanks for sharing. I'm sorry for your own mom's loss.
DeleteI see that both you and I had terrific mums. However, they were a generation apart – my sister was born in 1940 (in April) and alas, died earlier this year.
ReplyDeleteMum was born in 1908. Tell that to the young folks and they will think that’s some time in the middle ages.
Peter I'm so sorry about your sister, did you come from a big family? Well you still made me smile with that Middle ages remark. As for the younger gen, their time will come! 🙂
DeleteNo, there was just the two of us.
DeleteI’m now the last remaining member of the family.
Such a lovely tribute to your mom. It's nice to have such happy memories. I'm finding as I'm getting older the memories of my parents (who are long gone) get dearer.
ReplyDeleteThank you Judee, and you're so right. I wish I could thank them one more time for all they'd done.
DeleteWe can never write too much about our mothers, I think. The older I become the more instances when memories of my mother come to mind. I find myself wishing she was here so I could talk with her. I thought I was so caring and sensitive to her but until we actually experience some of what occurs with aging, only then can we know what their life was like.
ReplyDeleteI recall years ago when I was working in facilities sometimes hearing residents calling out for their mothers, or there was one person with slight dementia convinced she was heading home as her parents would be expecting her and it was getting late so she didn't want them to worry.
Thanks for sharing Joared, the first part here nicely said. And sweet & sad, about those older residents. I guess we'll always be children when it comes to our own parents.
DeleteNow, that looks splendid. How sweet of your Mom! I love her now as much as you do.
ReplyDeleteVery sweet of you, thanks Gigi. :^)
DeleteNice post ... I'm sure she would be proud of you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tom. Well, she was proud of all of us, I think. But we were just as proud of her. :^)
DeleteWhat a lovely post about your mom Doug. I was shocked to hear she was only 64 (that is far too young), but chuckled at your Dad suggesting his wife shouldn't work. My Dad said something similar of my mom - she didn't listen to him either, though she worked part-time.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful you have a tangible reminder of her love for you on your wall. I'm sure it brings a smile every time you see it.
Thank you Maebeme, this was sweet of you to say. (And yes, far too young!) That is funny your dad said something similar to your mom, well, you know how men could be back then! And you're right, I DO enjoy seeing that sun throughout the day. Thanks again. :^)
DeleteDug, I laughed at your comment about not giving something away when someone likes it. My great aunt (grandmother's sister) was like that. I had to be careful as a child when we visited because if I liked anything she had, she would give it to me. She was a sweetheart. Apparently your mom was like that. She sounds like a wonderful woman.
ReplyDeleteRian thanks for making me smile, to be honest I've been kind of down this weekend thinking about my mom. Much appreciated. 🙂
DeleteVery sweet Doug. Happy birthday to your mom.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anon... I wish I knew who you were. :^)
DeleteOh gosh... Doug... You made me tear up. I love your mom just because she raised such wonderful children. She was very beautiful. I loved hearing about that sun. It's such a lovely memento of her love for you.
ReplyDeleteKay this was very sweet of you, thank you. ♥️♥️🙂
DeleteI was killing time between classes and pulled up your blog… Thank you for this story… I don’t think mom ever returned home from work one time without bringing me a little something from the store whether it be jeans or a baby doll or lipstick:)♥️
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Courtney... that's who Mom was, alright. :^)
DeleteOh Doug, I new her birthday was in August but just couldn't remember the exact date....I am getting older, LOL. I commented on Courtney's post how I wished I could go back just one day and work together. Such a great person and very dear friend. We laughed and had a great time together whenever we were together.
ReplyDeleteHi Patty! Thank you so much for this wonderful comment, it's so nice to hear from you. That's very kind what you said, I know Mom loved you & Valerie and the others you worked with. (And I understand about getting older!) I sure hope you're well. :^)
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