Remembering my mom on what would have been her 94th birthday.

That would be yours truly with my mom, from 1953.

Today is Thursday, May 3, 2018. For more years than I can remember, I would have been traveling on this special day. It's my mom's birthday. But, not today. I tried to always drive over to Louisiana and spend the day with her, and dad. I typically carried them a meal. They both loved grilled meat and I would get up in the wee hours and fix them a little cookout. (Mom loved chicken, dad loved beef.) The wife always provided the side dishes and one of mom's favorite desserts. Good memories. I could talk myself into being sadder but I just feel too blessed, and I know where she is. She was granted 93 years in her sojourn here on the planet. Sure, I miss them both. More than words can convey. I used to always remind her that when Jesus spoke of how much He cared for His own, He used a mother hen to illustrate his love, "How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings..." (Matthew 23:37) That's the picture He used. That was a picture of my mom. To the end. May God bless her memory and the legacy she imparted to us. Amen.

One of the greatest blessings regarding my relationships with mom and dad has to do with the fact that I have no regrets. None. I learned my lesson back in 1971 with my grandfather. He was put in the hospital and it was determined that he needed surgery. My uncle was with him. It was not considered to be a serious surgical procedure. I debated leaving Houston and getting to Shreveport to check on him. He made it through the surgery and except for some pain, he seemed to be doing well. After all, at age 71, he was still as strong as an ox. Well, maybe not. The day after his surgery, during the first night, he developed a blood clot that went to his heart and he died instantly. I had felt an urge in my gut that I should go but I didn't. I would have loved to have seen him one last time before he was promoted to glory. You live and learn. My grandfather would not have wanted anyone to make a fuss over him. That I know for sure. God has placed some influential people in my life and for many of them, family and others, some time ago I was impressed that I should personally let them know what they had meant to my life. That's something I would highly recommend to anyone. Yep. Make a list. Send a note. Go see them. Make that call. There is a peace that comes when we recognize those God has used to help us become who we are today. Thank You, Lord, for Your provisions. Amen.

In retrospect, I did have one regret as it pertained to mom and dad. It was a biggie. They were married back in 1977. It was very important for us to be there. We had planned on being there. In fact, the wife and our three boys were parked on the curb outside of my building in downtown Houston waiting for us to leave to go to Louisiana. Back in those days, I was responsible for scheduling the work done on the Company's computer systems. We had experienced a big problem. It had a lot of visibility. I had to make a choice. I sent my secretary Joyce downstairs to tell the wife and boys I would not be leaving. I had to stay and help get everything back on track. That, my friend, was a bad decision. They were taking care of problems like that one before I ever showed up. At any rate, it took me years to make that one up to my mom and dad. I thought I needed to share that because perhaps someone can learn from it. You know, like the commercial, "Don't be like me!" The other thing we all know is that once that moment is past it can't be recovered. On balance, I am at peace and thankful. Many of those people that helped me along the way are unsung and unheralded. But, God saw the helping hand they gave to me, and thankfully, I, eventually, recognized it too. I may have been slow to express my appreciation, but, I am so glad I did. May God continue to bless is my prayer. Amen. ....More later.