Growing up, Mom would often refer to Kath, Tim, and I as "You kids" as in, "You kids need to get ready for school!" I don't remember exactly when it happened, but one day Tim responded, "Okay, you Mom!" Of course, we all laughed, and periodically, a "you kids" comment will elicit the "okay, you mom" response.
Dad called mom "the most damned independent woman" he'd ever met. She took great pride in letting people know that she was the wife of a minister, but not a minister's wife; and the difference is very subtle. Generally speaking, when a minister is hired by a parish, there's an unspoken expectation that the minister and the spouse come as a package deal; the spouse is expected to make the church a very central part of their lives by serving on committees and the like. Mom always enthusiastically supported Dad in his role as the minister, was involved in the church in a way meaningful to her, but always made her own way as well.
When we lived in Montezuma, she worked part-time for the local post office. She also attended [now] Cayuga County Community College part-time to resume her pursuit of a bachelor's degree. After we moved to Waterloo, she continued her studies at Hobart/William Smith Colleges, worked at the local bank, and served a term on the school board in Waterloo. She graduated from William Smith the day after I graduated from Eisenhower College and a couple of weeks before Tim graduated from Waterloo.
When Mom and Dad moved to Syracuse, Mom became the director of WCNY ReadOut program where people could tune in to hear newspapers, books, and magazines being read aloud. In 1985, she became the Director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) program; a position that she held for twenty years. Even though she's retired now, she continues to serve on several boards within the community. In every respect, she was not a minister's wife, but the wife of a minister who has ministered to others for many, many years. Of course, she did all of that and more while raising, along with Dad, three independent, self-sufficient children.
So I am posting this entry in honor of "You Mom!" Thank you for your love, support, and encouragement, and for teaching us about making your own way in life! Wishing you the happiest of Mother's Day!
Dad called mom "the most damned independent woman" he'd ever met. She took great pride in letting people know that she was the wife of a minister, but not a minister's wife; and the difference is very subtle. Generally speaking, when a minister is hired by a parish, there's an unspoken expectation that the minister and the spouse come as a package deal; the spouse is expected to make the church a very central part of their lives by serving on committees and the like. Mom always enthusiastically supported Dad in his role as the minister, was involved in the church in a way meaningful to her, but always made her own way as well.
When we lived in Montezuma, she worked part-time for the local post office. She also attended [now] Cayuga County Community College part-time to resume her pursuit of a bachelor's degree. After we moved to Waterloo, she continued her studies at Hobart/William Smith Colleges, worked at the local bank, and served a term on the school board in Waterloo. She graduated from William Smith the day after I graduated from Eisenhower College and a couple of weeks before Tim graduated from Waterloo.
When Mom and Dad moved to Syracuse, Mom became the director of WCNY ReadOut program where people could tune in to hear newspapers, books, and magazines being read aloud. In 1985, she became the Director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) program; a position that she held for twenty years. Even though she's retired now, she continues to serve on several boards within the community. In every respect, she was not a minister's wife, but the wife of a minister who has ministered to others for many, many years. Of course, she did all of that and more while raising, along with Dad, three independent, self-sufficient children.
So I am posting this entry in honor of "You Mom!" Thank you for your love, support, and encouragement, and for teaching us about making your own way in life! Wishing you the happiest of Mother's Day!
