A Mother's Name

I called her "Mom." My sister, Jonya, called her "Mimz."  The kids all knew her as Mrs. Stapp.

Mom visiting Washington, DC

Her friends called her Helen.

Golfing acquaintances called her "The Pro's Wife" and his "Better Half."  They were correct about the later.

The teachers called her "Letty's Mom" or "Jonya's Mom;" the PTA President and the Brownie Scout Leader.

When she died I heard her referred to as the "salt of the earth", as "lovely," and as "gracious." Sincere words that described her, but I only wanted my "mother."

Yes, she was and is all of those things to me, and I miss her everyday. It has been twenty-nine years, two hundred and fifty seven days since I last held her hand and cried when the hospital buzzer called "code blue."

Our hearts broke at 9:00 am that day when her heart stopped beating.