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god, humor, mother, trust

In my life, I was Blessed by God with my mom. I spoke of my Dad a week or so ago on this blog and in this very moment I felt that I would begin to share about my mom.

My mom to the world was known as Roberta. My mother was a very unusual women, very beautiful too. She was extremely strong, bright and family oriented, Faith was very much a part of her foundation and her parents my nana and papa were the reason for that as was her grand parents Nana and Nonno. She was an advocate for the under dog. She was double promoted in highschool and met my dad when she was 16 years old at a back yard barbeque. My mother had a list of sayings that she used and lived by. She and my dad wed when she was I believe 18.

She had a very high standard for my sister and her 4 boy’s to meet. My sister is the spitting diecast of my mom. A force of nature ! Oh by the way, My mother was told that she would never have children. She went from Church to church with her grandmother doing novenas asking God for children and after 5 years of marriage she became pregnant and had 5 children within 7 years.Thats, God for you. The last pregnancy nearly took her life and my brothers. The doctors actually told my dad that he needed to decide which one would survive thanks be to God they both rebounded and recovered. Again, that was God and another Miracle.

My mom lived first and foremost for her family. Like I wrote in my blog about my dad, my mom was part of her mom and dads adult care, taking care of their needs daily. She witnessed to us everyday with an amazing strong and positive attitude and influenced our lives in so many ways. She always Sacraficed, and was so energenic. She commanded respect from everyone. You just loved her. The Holy Spirit was shining. My mom worked in concert with my dad to keep the reighns on her 5 children. She was very aware and knew if something was not quite right with one of her children and took that issue on right away. She would not allow things to festor as she would call it. She definately had a special gift of the Spirit to know stuff. She sensed things and acted on them. She was so devoted to God, Jesus , Her Blessed Mother, St. Anthony, St.Theresa, St.Rachael, St. Michael, St. Faustina, Saint Pio the list went on and on.

She alway’s said I have 5 children and each one is as different as the fingers on my hand. And I know you well, and she did. She was switching gears all the time to manage eachone of us in the way that we needed to be. Whether we were 3 or 52 that never changed. Not one of us ever felt that we were not loved or treated the same or equally. And if they did I never heard about it, and would not agree with that assertion anyway. 🙂

My father was her true and only love for 58 years of marriage and they knew eachother before marriage for a couple of years.

My mom was extremely loyal to all that she knew and loved. The cord of the phone back in the day was clearing all of the counter tops in her kitchen as she paced back and forth and counseled everyone giving them hope . 🙂

No adversity was ever too big for her, not one of her children could ever be unlovable to her. But she did not put up with nonsence either. She would hunt you down ! lol.

She did not care what people thought, because she lived the way that God was guiding her. And raised us the same way. She never said it, but I will, She lived the road less traveled because she was walking towards Calvary and her God. She raised our family with my Dad the same way. None of us is perfect including my mom ,she would tell you that too, only Christ is. If we the kids made a mistake in judgement, She would say if you think for one minute that I think this is right, then by golly I will tell you otherwise. But having said that, None of us stirred the pot to cause trouble with other people because if my parents were to think that we were not respectful of others they would correct that situation immediately. My parents would say, remember who you are and where you come from. I know my personal fear as a young man and is to this day that I might ever disappoint my Dad or my mom’s memory. I will not allow that to happen, they have been the best parents that one could ever ask for. They were God’s gift to my myself and my siblings.

My mom would say all the time.

Say, what you mean, Mean, What You Say, But, don’t be mean when you say it. ! When we were little, my mom was painting ceilings and walls while my dad worked two jobs. Hanging laundry outside on the lines at 2 am in the morning. My brother S and I were talking recently and he recounted this story to me, his window faced the back yard and he would hear the back door slam and he would silently watch my mom hang laundry and to make sure that she was safe. She made sauce and cooked nonstop at night, as she ironed everything. Pillow cases and all there were no dryers then. She was listening to talk radio and David Brodnoy 🙂 etc.

My mom went to work Full time when my youngest brother hit 1st grade. She worked day’s and my dad worked nights the ring of security was around the family her kids had 24 hour surveillance. LOL

My mom topped the Civil Service Exam and kept turning down job offers if they would be invasive in her life and would detract from her family including her mom and dad.She adored them.

My mom worked in the State highway department as a clerical employee/ manager. She turned down countless promotions to Boston, it was too far from home and kids at that stage of her life. As she got older she did not need to financially do that so she was very happy staying at the district office she worked 30 years before retirement.

What she did do though was to become a union President for AFSCME and a member of the AFLCIO during her younger years.

She found herself toe to toe in courts with attorney’s fighting greivances for other union members. She did not get paid for this. She felt called to do this and she mopped up alot of the lawyers in court. You See, they looked at her and did not realize who she was and her resolve to help the little guy. She would spend hours in the middle of the night typing summaries and notes for court and was prepared to go to battle for the person who needed their case resolved. Her life was one big ministry of love. She never missed a beat.

My mother never really slept. She just did and got the job done. My mother would throw the sunshine yellow colored toaster cover over her hair and run out of the house in the rain to drop us off at St. Agnes school in the morning.

One day, She ran out during the winter in the morning to drop us off at school, with her nightgown on,raincoat, slippers,wool socks and sunshine yellow toaster cover protecting her hair doo. LOl She dropped all us kiddies off at school and as she looped through the center to go home. The car ran out of gas . So, she had to go into the store and get help, her pocket book and money were at home. She always laughed about this incident and someone obviously helped her out. 🙂 I do not think that ever happened again:)

My mother was generous with everyone that she knew whether family or not. But was also a very frugul money manager. She added water to the soap containers like my wife does .:) So cute :). As she would say ,We work too hard to throw the money away. Stuff was not important, she had peace and when someone else needed something, she would say, I have a little put asside.

Her parents lived in the depression and she was born in that era, so her parents instilled the value of money in her as well.

She loved the Cursillo movement. It rejuenated her again. She would cry when she spoke about its beauty.

She was an inspiration. and Miracle to my family and everyone that she met.

Some other saying that she instilled in us are…

Knowing what you stand for, limits what you fall for.

Emulated by some, surpassed by none 🙂 about herself, and she would laugh.

You cannot do another persons inventory.

We have no right to judge.

I should give you a crack ! lol

What Would Jesus Do.

As God As My Witness.

Offer It Up.

Laugh at the good times, because the sorrows can be many.

That’s life.

The squeeky Hindge gets the oil.

Let it go.

Let go, Let God.

Do not give away your emotions.

Do not give them head space.

, She was brilliant. She was not a pushover either.

She was God strong.

Of My Dad,she would say, He is a class act !, He’s one in a million, She Adored him. He was her darlin.

She would say the man never stops! He is alwaying moving and doing for his family.

My mom loved music especially Christian music. But would listen to most everything. She liked to dance too. 🙂

My mom loved these songs, I can remember her telling me when I was very little.

She loved Irish music:)

St. Patricks Breastplate. Angelina EWTN

The Irish Tenors.

Danny Boy, My mom would call all the time to check in and from time to time if I did not answer she would sing Danny Boy to my message service. She did that all my life right up to her last day’s on Earth.