by Pa Rock
A Mother's Child
Today is Mother's Day, a holiday honoring the women who birthed, and, in most cases, raised us, and when the time came, gently pushed us from the warmth and safety of the family nest. My own mother passed away over thirty years ago, but seldom does a day go by in which I do not think of her - and miss her.
This is a day when I look in appreciation on the formidable people - and especially the mothers - who are raising my grandchildren. School being cut short due to the pandemic, and the resulting "shelter at home" orders have been especially hard on young families, situations which presented mothers and fathers with challenges they never anticipated having to face. But they are prevailing and the world continues to spin ever onward.
Bless them and their love of the next generation - and give them strength!
And, on a related note . . .
Today is the birthday of one of my favorite mothers. "Mother" Maybelle Carter of the iconic country music family, the Carters, was born on this date in 1909. She played guitar and the auto-harp and sang - and raised three singing daughters June (Mrs. Johnny Cash), Anita, and Helen. The family played musical venues across North America and around the world from World War II until the 1990's.
I attended a Carter Family show at the Shrine Mosque in Springfield, Missouri, in the mid-1960's. I've written about that night in the space before, but a basic recap would include the fact that it was snowing as a friend and I walked from our college dorm a mile or more through the slush to the downtown show. Johnny Cash was supposed to headline the event, but as the crowd got settled, an announcement was made that he would not be performing that night because his plane had been unable to land at the Springfield airport due to the snow. Refunds of the $5.00 ticket price would be made at the door, or, for those who wanted to remain, members of the Carter family would still be performing - as well as the Statler Brothers.
My friend grabbed his five bucks and left, but I stayed to watch the show. The snow didn't bother me, and I didn't have any better options for that Saturday night.
And it was a "show," not a "concert." In that earlier blog posting I began the description of the event this way:
It would be more than a full year later before June and Johnny finally brought their act together through the bonds of marriage.
One of the things I remember most clearly about that very cold and snowy night was the deference and respect that June paid to Mother Maybelle. June was the outright star of the night through her commanding presence on stage, but Maybelle was still her mother, a fact that reigned supreme than night - and throughout their lives.
And today, Mother's Day, is also Mother Maybelle's birthday. It's as though some things were just meant to be!
Happy Mother's Day to all the world's mothers! And may the Carter family enjoy a double scoop of blessings as they remember their matriarch, the late Mother Maybelle Carter, on what would have been her 111th birthday!
Rock on, Moms!
A Mother's Child
Today is Mother's Day, a holiday honoring the women who birthed, and, in most cases, raised us, and when the time came, gently pushed us from the warmth and safety of the family nest. My own mother passed away over thirty years ago, but seldom does a day go by in which I do not think of her - and miss her.
This is a day when I look in appreciation on the formidable people - and especially the mothers - who are raising my grandchildren. School being cut short due to the pandemic, and the resulting "shelter at home" orders have been especially hard on young families, situations which presented mothers and fathers with challenges they never anticipated having to face. But they are prevailing and the world continues to spin ever onward.
Bless them and their love of the next generation - and give them strength!
And, on a related note . . .
Today is the birthday of one of my favorite mothers. "Mother" Maybelle Carter of the iconic country music family, the Carters, was born on this date in 1909. She played guitar and the auto-harp and sang - and raised three singing daughters June (Mrs. Johnny Cash), Anita, and Helen. The family played musical venues across North America and around the world from World War II until the 1990's.
I attended a Carter Family show at the Shrine Mosque in Springfield, Missouri, in the mid-1960's. I've written about that night in the space before, but a basic recap would include the fact that it was snowing as a friend and I walked from our college dorm a mile or more through the slush to the downtown show. Johnny Cash was supposed to headline the event, but as the crowd got settled, an announcement was made that he would not be performing that night because his plane had been unable to land at the Springfield airport due to the snow. Refunds of the $5.00 ticket price would be made at the door, or, for those who wanted to remain, members of the Carter family would still be performing - as well as the Statler Brothers.
My friend grabbed his five bucks and left, but I stayed to watch the show. The snow didn't bother me, and I didn't have any better options for that Saturday night.
And it was a "show," not a "concert." In that earlier blog posting I began the description of the event this way:
"June Carter, one of the stars of Johnny's traveling show, took that stage in much that same manner as Grant had taken Richmond in the previous century, full-throttle and never giving any quarter. She sang, and danced, and joked and told stories, and played music. Others shared the stage that night including June's sister, Anita, their mother, Maybelle Carter, and a relatively new singing act by the name of the Statler Brothers. But the show was June's from the first joyous note to the final curtain call."
It would be more than a full year later before June and Johnny finally brought their act together through the bonds of marriage.
One of the things I remember most clearly about that very cold and snowy night was the deference and respect that June paid to Mother Maybelle. June was the outright star of the night through her commanding presence on stage, but Maybelle was still her mother, a fact that reigned supreme than night - and throughout their lives.
And today, Mother's Day, is also Mother Maybelle's birthday. It's as though some things were just meant to be!
Happy Mother's Day to all the world's mothers! And may the Carter family enjoy a double scoop of blessings as they remember their matriarch, the late Mother Maybelle Carter, on what would have been her 111th birthday!
Rock on, Moms!
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