RAMBLINGS IN THE NIGHT...... MY MOM

RAMBLINGS IN THE NIGHT….. My Mom

My Mom is one of the most important people in my life. We have always been close. That is not to say that we don’t have disagreements and argue. I think we enjoy arguing with each other just for the sake of arguing…..lol. But this Rambling is about her and how she has played an important role in my life.

Now my Mom aka Ms. Deborah Jean, was married to my dad at the young age of 15, and had me at the young age of 16. We sort of grew up together. I remember when I was growing up that she would get down in the dirt and play with me. I was a cheap kid. I like matchbox cars and books. Mom would play with me in the dirt and the matchbox cars. We would build towns and cities. You don’t find many moms who can or will do that now a days.

I didn’t have to have the expensive game systems growing up. Which the only game system at that time was Atari. So entertainment was had only if you created it.  Mom took interest in the things that I was interested in. She was in a word protective.

Growing up, I can remember she would read to me, from a Bible story book until I was old enough to read myself. Even after I learned to read, she made it a nightly routine that we would read the Bible before going to bed and saying our prayer. She instilled in me the importance of the Bible, God and Church. I know my Mom prayed for me when I was growing up. I know that she still prays for me now that I am grown. Mom is a firm believer that God can and will answer prayers.

I know firsthand that Mom can get her prayers answered. I have seen the results of having a praying Mom. There have been instances in my life where Mom has prayed and God answered and things worked out the way she prayed. Here is a prime example, I received Christmas day orders to IRAQ, on Christmas day 2006. I was at Mom’s house with all the family, when the phone rang. Mom answered it. She got this weird look on her face and said it’s the Navy and they want to talk to you.

Well, I was like ok. Everyone in the house got quiet as I was talking to the YN1 on the phone. I said yes and no a lot. And I understand. All the while Mom was looming and hovering like a bird about to dive on its prey. Once I got off the phone, no one said anything. They were waiting for Mom to say something. Finally, she looked at me and said, what was that all about. Well let me say this right here, Mom has a temper. And when she is mad look out. So I looked at her and said, I have 72 hours to report to Naval Station San Diego. I am going to IRAQ. Lets just say Christmas ended right then. Mom got so mad.

It took all of us talking to her to get her to calm down. I thought she was going to blow the roof off the house. I did not spend the night. I drove back home to Knoxville, TN, where I lived.

Mom called me the next day she had calmed down. Her first words to me were, I am praying that you don’t have to go. I said Mom you can’t pray that. I have to go. No, No, No, I am praying that she said.

Well 72 hours later I was taxing up the runway at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, heading to San Diego, California. To Naval Station San Diego. I was there for a week before catching a C-130 to Gray Air Force base and then bused to Fort Lewis Army Base in Washington State. I was stationed there for 3 months training. All the while every time I talked to Mom, she would tell me that I am praying that you don’t have to go.

After 3 months of training, we were 2 hours out before we flew to IRAQ. I get a phone call from a Senior Chief up in Great Lakes, wanting to know if I can come up and be an instructor at Hospital Corpsman “A” School. I told Senior, man I am about to head to IRAQ in 72 hours. Senior said I will call you back shortly and hung up. Two hours later I get a call from a YN1 stationed in Millington, TN. YN1 said HM2 Shuler I have a Senior Chief up in Great Lakes wanting you up there, but you have orders to ship out to IRAQ in 72 hours. Yes I know that I told her. She said, well what do you want to do? I told her I’ll go wherever the Navy needs me. She was quiet for a few moments then said, I am changing your orders. I’ll send you new orders within the hour, you’re going to Great Lakes.

I had no more than got off the phone with her and my Mom called. She said I was just praying for you and that you wouldn’t have to go to IRAQ. And this sweet calm came over me and the peace of God blanketed me. You’re not going to IRAQ, Moms said. I said, Mom, you’re right I am not going to IRAQ, I am going to Great Lakes.  Don’t tell me prayers can’t be answered. Moms did.

My Mom was a little hell ‘Yun growing up. She was so mean, she made life miserable for her sister and brother. Now of course I am getting this from my Aunt Teresa, and other members of my family. Mom of course denies it. Lol.

Aunt Truby, told me that she was babysitting one day for Mamaw Pauline, and had all the kids there. Well mom went out to my Grandpa’s truck took the gas cap off and poured sugar down into the gas tank. Which of course isn’t good for a vehicle. Aunt Truby said mom had been so mean that day, she just knew that the sugar in the gas tank would get mom a whipping when Grandpa got home. Lol.

Aunt Truby was waiting on my grandparents when they returned. She told them all the meanness that mom had been up to while they were gone. And the nail in mom’s coffin so to speak was the sugar in the gas tank story. Aunt Truby waited as Grandpa called mom over and asked her about it. Mom said that she had. Grandpa looked at Mom, and said, Deborah Jean if you do something like that again, I’ll not take you with me to the commissary for ice cream next time I go. Aunt Truby nearly had heart failure. Mom didn’t get a whipping like she had hoped. Grandpa just talked to mom and that was it.  I will say I had done something like that Mom would have beat me half to death.

Growing up Mom had breakfast on the table at 6:15AM sharp every morning, for Dad and me. Gravy and biscuits, sausage or bacon, and eggs. This was a daily routine. I didn’t go to school hungry. We raised our own hogs. So the meat was fresh from the farm. 

When I got home from school in the afternoon, supper was on the table at 4PM sharp. Mom believed in feeding her family. There were usually 10 people or more at supper time. Mom cooked supper at Grandpa’s house. So there was never a dull moment at supper time.

Mom was a homemaker. She didn’t work at a job other than being a homemaker and a MOM. That was her job. Some people thought she was crazy for not working a regular job. She would always say, I’m doing what God meant for me to be doing and that is taking care of my family.

There is much more I could say about my Mom. And I will write about her again I am sure. But I will stop for now. To say that she played a big role in my life is an understatement. Mom took her role as a Mom very seriously. She taught me things, while I was growing up. She taught me the importance of family. To love God, the Bible and church. She taught me to pray. Theses may not seem like important things to many. But they important to me.  Mom’s guidance and love help to make me a better person.