I am not ashamed to admit it, I was a mama’s boy. I love my dad, but my heart belonged to my mother.

I know some men may have just lost respect for me, saying I was a mama’s boy, but I am not ashamed. For almost 10 years of my life, I was an only child. My mother had been told as a child that she would never have children. It happened when she was 6 years old, playing on the streets of Cleveland, on South Bouvard, the way she told me, in a big box on her front yard. (Maybe I need to mention she was a little bit, okay let’s tell the truth, a big tom boy.) Somehow the box kept inching closer and closer to the street. I am sure with her moving around in it, she did not realize as a 6-year-old child what was happening. Her brother, was supposed to be watching her, but he was not that much older himself. He went back in the house or was riding his bike; I don’t really know the answer. Each family member tells the story different.

My grandmother had over 10 kids, and my mother was the baby at that time this is all taking place in the 1940s. I’m sure we all can admit it was a different world than what we are use to now.

Somehow that box, with a little girl, playing inside, got in the street. A truck coming down the street ran over the box, not knowing that a child was inside. When the front wheels went over her, she screamed and the truck driver hit his brakes, and by the time the truck stopped the back wheels were on her body. Again, each member of the family tells the story different, some say truck, others say a touring car, but all agree she was run over by a vehicle. The neighborhood comes out, blood is on the street, a crushed box, and a crushed young girl. They did not want to continue the action of running over her, so they took out a jack and jacked the vehicle up, and then pulled her out from the vehicle. The emergency car took her to a hospital that would treat African Americans, and the doctors wanted to have emergency surgery on her as soon as possible. That’s when things may have gone from bad to worse. The final outcome was she did live, –she never had the surgery, but the result was she was told and confirmed that she would never have children.

When my parents got married, the doctor confirmed she would never have children. Two years after they were married, my mother was pregnant with me. How could this be?

The doctor said he did not understand it. It was some kind of miracle, but yes you are pregnant. This might explain why my mother and I were so close, because according to the record I should never have been born.

I won’t take you through all the ups and downs of life, but it might prove interesting to know that she lived 30 years after the accident, and died at 36. She had three forms of cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and brain cancer. She was blessed to give birth to three children, one boy and to wonderful girls, my sisters. Sadly, they don’t remember her that much because they were very young when she died and went home to her reward. My father used to say, “God let her live 30 years after she was scheduled to die, to give birth to the three of you. Make sure you do something with your life.”

I believe we all have done our best to do it.

Two things I want to share that my mother told me. One was about a year before she died. She said, “Darrell, I will not always be here with you, but I want to tell you about a God who will never leave you!” She prayed with me that day, and asked me to make sure I knew God for myself. I did not know that 12 months later she would be gone. I don’t think she knew either, but she did know none of us have come to stay.

Her most important message to me, was know God for yourself. I did not know how important that message was to me, sitting at the kitchen table, one on one, with my mother. Those few minutes changed my life. I played it off at the time, thought very little of it then, but it rings big in my heart and mind now.

The second thing about my mother was she said, “Never give up just because someone tells you ‘No.’ If they are telling you no, it just means you have not talked to the right person yet.” She demonstrated it to me by taking me with her to the department store for a top to a Crockpot. My mother went to the counter and asked to buy a top to the Crockpot. Somehow our glass top cover to the Crockpot had broken, and she wanted a new one. She was happy to pay for it.

The nice sales lady said, “I am so sorry that your top has broken, but we do not sell just the top, you must buy a whole new Crockpot.” My mother said, “I don’t need a whole new one, can’t afford to buy one right now, I just want the top to the Crockpot, please.” The sales lady said, “I am sorry we can’t help you!” My mother asked to speak to her supervisor. The sales lady said, “You are wasting your time and mine, no one is going to sell you just the top to a Crockpot.”

“I understand,” Mom replied, “but may I speak to your supervisor?”

I think I was maybe 10 years old at the time. This thing was getting heated, but my mother was not giving up. The supervisor was kind enough to come out and speak to my mother. Just like the sales lady said, the supervisor said the same thing, “no top to the Crockpot, must buy the whole thing or you get nothing at all.”

That did not bother my mother at all, she just kindly asked to speak to the manager. The supervisor said the same thing, “He is not going to sell you a top to the Crockpot!” My mother said, same thing, “Just kindly let me speak to him!”

They both walked her and me to the manager’s office. My mother talk with them as they walked, explaining how long she had been a customer at this store. The sales lady mentioned she had waited on her a number of times, but no one is going to give you just the top to a Crockpot.

The two went into the manager’s office. My mother and I sat in the waiting room. People went in and out of that office over the next hour. I don’t think the manager ever talked to her, but he did come out and say, “Here is the top to a Crockpot. Thank you for your business.” My mother asked, “How much does it cost?” He said, “Nothing, have a nice day!”

As we walked out my mother said, “Darrell if they are telling you no, it only means they are not the right person. The right person will say, ‘yes.’ You just have to find them.”

Mothers are and should be honored on a weekly basis, not just once or twice a year. I believe it was President Abraham Lincoln who implied that all of his success came because of his mother. It takes more than giving birth to a child to be a real mother. A great calling, an even greater responsibility.

God Bless All Mothers, Happy Mother’s Day!