Mother’s Day tribute – Bess LeFevre
We asked resident families to tell us their favorite memories of their mothers, and we were not disappointed by their responses.
Jeanne Cooper recalled a beautiful story of when she was in grade school and the warmth and peace she felt from her loving mom.
One of my favorite memories of my mom was my first day of school. Back in the day when kids walked home and there wasn’t a line of cars waiting to pick them up after school, I was supposed to meet a neighborhood 2nd grader at the flag pole after school and we would walk home together. I waited at the flag pole until is was clear I had been abandoned. I thought I knew the route to the “big house on the corner.” I walked to the corner – no big house. I walked to the next corner – no big house. I walked to the next corner – still no big house. I was sure I had gone too far so I retraced my steps again looking for the big house on the corner until I found myself back at the school.
I stood on the corner trying to be brave with the stiffest upper lip I could manage when a man mowing his grass asked me who I was and could he help. I told him my name and he said he knew my dad and could take me to his store. As far as I was concerned, this was the very definition of a “stranger.” As I was standing there trying to figure out how to say “no” to an adult I saw my mom driving toward me in our old blue Studebaker – one where you had to go forward when it first started before it would reverse. Everyday when we got in the car, Mom would put the old Studebaker in drive, slam on the brakes, put it in reverse, and back out safely of the garage.
As I saw her drive up in our family Studebaker, my stiff upper lip and attempted-bravery dissolved, and I started crying. Mom - of course - hugged me and held me. She showed me I was on the right course and the "big house" on the corner was still simply a few block away.
It was just one of many times in my life Mom’s hugs and magical arms have made everything better.
