In a few days, it will be Mother’s Day Not a day goes by that I don’t think of this amazing woman. She helped to define and shape me throughout my life. She gave me confidence to be proud of who I was, even when I didn’t feel worthy. She gave me hope for the future. She disciplined, when necessary, but rarely laid a hand on me. The only time I recall a spanking from her was when she chased me through the house with a hairbrush to achieve the deed, only to have the brush break at the first blow – resulting in both of us laughing heartily.

Mom became a widow at the age of 59. She was a beautiful woman, with personality to match. She remarried and settled in Florida for a number of years until her second husband passed away. It was at that point that…