Happy Belated Earth Day and Mother’s Day (Early)

Pity those who never had parents or teachers who told them how to behave, how to be kind, how to be independent, and how to treat the elderly, women and men, children, animals with respect.

My mother was the gentlest, kindest, caring parent who came back from my father’s suicide a stronger woman that she probably didn’t realize. It took time and healing, but throughout my youth she never neglected or failed to show her love for me. Since I was 8 when my father died, I knew clearly my mother was my everything.

She taught me about all the virtues needed to be happy and successful in school. The work ethic she modeled, and I won a full scholarship to college because I loved learning and pleasing her. She taught me to be persistent in studying until I understand the content instead of parroting information back to please the teacher. When I landed in a college English honors class, I was also targeted for 4 years of honors in history, philosophy, ethics, and politics.

In my freshman year, I almost had a meltdown from overwork in a biology class. I cried while memorizing terms and sketching lab specimens. That was not like my high school class at all. The latter made me love nature more; the college class was a downer but it taught me preciseness and perseverance.

My momma said, “Education is the way out of poverty.” I know how hard it is for one-parent families to rise above poverty. We did not get rich, but we had enough. Love was never lacking. My teacher salary later helped her, and I only wish I had deposited more money in her bank account than I did.

I know it’s early for celebrating Mother’s Day, but my mother was the one who taught be about earth day before there was an Official one. Today is a lovely spring day with pristine blue sky and flowering trees on a velvet green landscape. She is very much with me as I walk and enjoy the scenery. We spent every day possible exploring the woods together when I was young.

Later, I had a biology assignment in the 10th grade which opened the door to learning the names of every wildflower and sketching it. No cameras allowed. At first I thought it was going to be impossible, but on we trekked through the hills and creekbeds until we had a 148 page wildflower book. My mother and I were proud when I got an A+ on the illustrations and captions.

By the time I was in college on full scholarship (we were dirt poor as they say), I really thought I would major in science. However, British Romantic poetry was the link to my love of literature and nature. So, my mother shaped my love of both, but nature was always the inspiration.

So, Happy Earth Day and early Mother’s Day goes up to my dearest mother, Jean.

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Mother Earth