As one drives along the highways of our home in North Central Florida, we are blessed with an extra helping this time of year of beautiful wildflowers, phlox and wild coreopsis, commonly known as black-eyed Susans. I remember picking small bouquets of these and presenting them to Mama and my Grandma Bullard.
My oldest and best friend, the late Mac Pound, would pick them up and present them to the late Edna Feagle, who would present us with a Hershey bar. Grandma Bullard told us, "Don't aggravate Edna. She has work to do." We listened to my Grandma most of the time. The simple pleasures of childhood in White Springs were walking, talking and buying a cold Coke at Carvers Grocery Store. For us, the world revolved around a small geographical area.
Memories live on. As we approach this Mother's Day, I am so thankful our mother is still with us. She is remarkable and beautiful, a great Southern cook, one of the hardest workers ever, a Veteran of the United States Air Force, and a farmer's wife when tobacco farming was anything but easy. She never missed a school event, a ball game, or a graduation and was always baking cakes or pies for any school or special event. Mama...a remarkable woman. At almost 92, she is still going fairly strong.
I was also blessed with a beautiful and wonderful maternal grandmother, the late Annie Taylor of Live Oak, and a great paternal grandmother, the late Mary Joyner Bullard, who was born in the 19th century.
By many definitions, our lives were provincial. We loved where we lived and the people we lived among. These strong women taught us many lessons, including a love for God, family and friends. The old quote, "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world," holds a lot of truth.
On this Mother's Day, and always, we love you, Mama. You are among life's greatest blessings. I wish all the wonderful women who are called "Mom," "Mama," "Grandma," "Granny" and "Big Mama" a wonderful and happy Mother's Day.
