I proudly call myself a Mama’s Boy. I always have been and always will be. I love my dad, too, but my mom is special. This Sunday is Mother’s Day. I try my best to treat every day as Mother’s Day. Every day should be.
My mom (Judy Kelly) has always been there for me as long as I can remember. I was her shadow. I remember going to Manager’s meetings at JC Penney when I was a little kid and running around a closed store until she was finished. I remember growing up at Central Baptist Church in Oak Ridge. She worked in the nursery and then taught Sunday School to little ones like me. She was at all of my ball games, my chorus concerts, and school functions. She walked all over town with me each Halloween until I got a little too old to go anymore. She was an amazing artist. She inspired the love of art I have today. She was Super Mom to me. When I was 13 I begged her to take me to see Jimmy Buffett in concert. She had no idea who he was but took me anyway. I have never forgotten how cool that was in my book! She shared her love of Elvis with me. I’m still a fan.
As I grew into adulthood, she became my best friend. She was who I went to when I needed someone to talk to or just some motherly advice, She had the hug I needed when I didn’t even know I needed one. The shoulder I could and did cry on. She was my encourager. My rock. She still is today. When my late wife became terminally ill, she moved her retirement date up to help take care of our son. She has always put others before herself.
Now I am in my 50’s and I thank God everyday that I still have my mom and my day to talk to and visit with. I’m extremely blessed to still have my Grandmother, Athala Dow, here for me as well. I pray my 11 year old son, Dane, realizes just how lucky he is to not only have my parents, but to have his great grandmother in his life. He and I are both blessed to have his late mother’s parents in our lives too. Thank God for Aline and Tommy Hargrove. They love me like a son and treat Dane like he hung the moon. It is the same way they treat their other grandsons. Aline has been through so much and I admire her every day. She is a true Christian wife and mother. I love her like my own. I pray her Mother’s Day is special and she knows how much we truly love her. Same for her other daughter, Tammy. Dane and I love you, too. You are a great mom who has raised some amazing young men.
I could not let Mother’s Day pass without mentioning my Mamaw Kelly. She and my Papaw raised five kids during a time when it wasn’t so easy. Sweet and loving are the first two words that come to mind when I think of her. Even those days she made me get a switch from the yard to correct me if I did something wrong. She did it because she loved me and wanted to teach me respect. It worked wonders. I spent almost as much time with her as I did my parents when I was growing up. I would walk to her house after school every day. That walk usually included stops at The Boy’s Club and Dairy Queen. Summertime meant I’d get to be with her most of the day. I loved that! She could cook like no other. My appetite kept her busy and Bruner’s Grocery Store in business.
Those summers with Mamaw were special. She was a tomboy growing up. Her siblings called her ‘boy.’ She could throw and catch like one for sure. It didn’t matter if it was baseball or football. She could throw both of them far. She even had her own baseball glove. She enjoyed being outside and would keep me company. She had the best sense of humor, too! Thanks to her I knew who Victor, Nikki, Jack, Kay and everyone else was on The Young and Restless. Days of Our Lives was another soap opera I had to watch. Thanks to her I also learned all the words to “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” without needing a songbook. I heard it plenty. She loved the Lord and wanted to make sure I knew about Him and His mercy and grace. I would make her gospel cassettes and she would sit on the couch and play them on her little tape recorder. The love she had for her family was so strong. I love her and miss her so much.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. My village consisted of my aunts and my many “second moms (you know who you are).” It still does. I could not have handpicked any better aunts than the ones God gave me. They truly helped raise me in one way or another. Thank you to all of my aunts….Janice Brooks, Brenda Gouge, Carolyn Huckaby, Debbie Kelly, Jeri Dow, and Brenda Knoch. I love each of you and hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day!
My cousins, who are moms, are special and I love them so much. Happy Mother’s Day Tammi, Tonya, Whitney, Meredith, April, and Delece! Hope y’all have a great day! I know without a doubt my cousin, Teresa, would have grown up and become a great wife and a Mother of the Year candidate had she not been taken from us at the age of 17. I love and miss you very much.
Happy Mother’s Day in Heaven Jackie Hargrove Kelly. Dane and I love and miss you. We know you watch over us. He is so much like you as I’m sure you know.
Mattie Galyon and Mary Lou Murphy. God Bless you both! You have been my neighbors for over 30 years. You have both been like a mother to me and a grandmother to Dane. Happy Mother’s Day. We love you!
Jennifer Scruggs McMurray you deserve a special Mother’s Day. You do such a wonderful job with Marley! I know Pat Scruggs has a lot to do with that. So does your Mamaw Scruggs. Dane is blessed to have you in his life and so am I. We are thankful to be included in your family circle. We love each of you!
Judy Lane we love you hope you have a Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day to each of you! Let us remember those celebrating this day in Heaven. Let us also remember those who may be celebrating alone. Please reach out to them and let them know you care.
I love you, Mom, and I’m proud to be your son.
Hope you all have a blessed week,
Judy’s son
“Give her the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”Proverbs 31:31 KJV
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