Father's Day Thoughts

I'm sure my mother, being a sincere Catholic at the the time, figured she would be married forever. Such was not the case in my parents case. Two good people from different galaxies who could not find a compatible third galaxy to live on together. And I think that is the challenge--the marriage, the relationship must find a third galaxy that the couple must somehow be able to live on together. So, on this father's day I think about my mother who raised my brother and myself. I don't recommend it. The strain of being a good mother or a good father is considerable. And there is the sheer hard work and time required--no please take the boys to the park so I can get some sleep. A single parent fills both roles--or tries to until they become numb or break. I did not know my mother broke until my aunt told me recently in a matter of fact manner why my brother and I stayed with her and my uncle for a year and a half. One question I want to ask the Powers-That- Be in the next world is why we remember certain moments out what must amount to are millions of moments. My mother would come home from working in a nursing home after going to chiropractic college at nine at night. Not very often, usually during the unbearable heat of Iowa in the summer, she would come home with this tiny container of ice cream--not really enough for one person and she would split it three ways. It was the coolness of heaven if only for a minute. I see the faces and hear the words and feel the emotions. I'm sure my mother would like flowers on her grave but she would be over the moon ecstatic if a gallon a butter pecan was left on her grave. After all, she always told me that they gave you free ice cream in heaven.