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When I married my lovely and vivacious wife Jenny, I was a city kid (suburbs really) joining a family of farmers.  I sure had a lot to learn, and much of it I learned from Jenny’s Granddad, Elton “Tink” Lane.  He was a great old guy to hang out with – he’d take us hunting to all the best spots, he had an opinion on everything and he’d gladly share it with us, and there wasn’t anything mechanical he couldn’t fix.  I had a lot of memorable times with Tink.

Probably my most vivid memory was one morning Tink and I went out hunting for deer.  We were driving around in his old white truck looking for muleys in the pre-dawn mist when he spotted a few grazing on some wheat and pointed them out to me.  He asked me if I thought I could shoot one through his window.  That would have put the muzzle of my 30-06 about 6 inches in front of his face and ears, which I didn’t think was a good idea so I quietly climbed out of  truck and layed across the hood and bagged one of those rascals – a six point buck if I remember correctly.

Tink died today.   I’m tearing up as I think about him being gone, but as I focus instead on the great man he was and the wonderful time we spent together, the tears go away.  Tink – you are a great husband, father, granddad and great-granddad and I am proud to be part of your family.  You will be missed.

The first day of Spring in Texas:

Good thing I rode yesterday.  Looks like a Snap (BORING!!) day.

My dad sent this to me a few years ago.  I keep the email in my inbox and read it occasionally to help me remain grounded about the role mothers play in our lives and the role my mother has played and continues to play in my life.

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. “Is this the long way?” she asked.  And the guide said “Yes, and the way is hard.  And you will be old before you reach the end of it.  But the end will be better than the beginning.”

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years.

So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed them, and taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike and reminded them to feed the dog, and do their homework and brush their teeth. The sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, “Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.”

Then the nights came, and the storms, and the path was sometimes dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her arms, and the children said, “Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come.”

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary.  But at all times she said to the children, “A little patience and we are there.”

So the children climbed, and as they climbed they learned to weather the storms.  And with this, she gave them strength to face the world.

Year after year, she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most of all … unconditional love.

And when they reached the top they said, “Mother, we would not have done it without you.”

The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she became little and bent.  But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage.  And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and said, “This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned so much and are now passing these traits on to their children.”

And when the way became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her their strength, just as she had given them hers.

One day they came to a hill, and beyond the hill, they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.

And mother said: “I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their children after them.”

And the children said, ” You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.”  And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her.  And they said: “We cannot see her, but she is with us still.  A Mother like ours is more than a memory.  She is a living presence.”

Your Mother is always with you.  She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she’s the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick and perfume that she wore, she’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re not feeling well, she’s your breath in the air on a cold winter’s day.  She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a rainbow, she is Christmas morning.

Your Mother lives inside your laughter.  And she’s crystallized in every tear drop.

A mother shows every emotion … happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow … and all the while, hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in life.  She’s the place you came from, your first home, and she’s the map you follow with every step you take.   She’s your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you.

~ Written for Good Housekeeping Magazine in 1933 by Temple Bailey ~

Every time I read this I tear up a bit and I thank God for both my mother – Barbara Lavey and my wife Jenny – the mother of my children.

Thank you mom and thank you Jenny.  I love both of you very much.