Hello everybody, I do hope everyone is well and everyone had a blessed Easter! With Mother’s Day falling in May I thought it would be appropriate to talk about my own mother, Carolyn Rogers Wilson.

We all only have one birth mom. I have three siblings, Debbie, Mitch and David. Debbie is the oldest followed by Mitch. Then Mother waited 12 years and I was born, followed 13 months later with David’s birth. So in reality, Mother raised four kids in two different generations. That in itself must have been a chore. I know I was the largest baby at 9 pounds and nearly 2 feet long. I don’t know why we always remember the weight, but to me that was important.

Childbirth for Mother, and mothers in general, deserves a Purple Heart. They have been carrying a baby in their womb up to nine months. That is an honorable service in itself.

I don’t remember when I was born, but think about it: when you were in your mother’s womb you depended on her for nourishment, for protection. When we’re born and the doctor or whomever cuts the umbilical cord, we’re no longer protected, and become separated from God, in a way. I’m not gonna delve into that here, but I am gonna talk about my sweet, loving, caring mother.

She is 91 now and will be 92 in August. I love her so much. Not only has she done so much for me over the years, she’s done so much for others. Jokingly I tell folks it was probably like raising two or three kids bringing me up.

Mother was the one who stayed at home, cooked our meals and kept the house in order while Dad worked. We sat around the table for breakfast, sometimes lunch, and dinner for sure. She makes the best homemade rolls in the world—as one of my favorite wrestlers growing up, Jackie Fargo, used to say, “often imitated, but never duplicated.”

Mother was a fine cook, but more importantly, she nurtured me and my siblings. Whenever there was a problem, I went to Mother (unless it was a money problem, ha ha, that was Dad). She made sure we had nice clean clothes, that we did our homework and that we arrived at school on time. She also picked us up from school.

My father was the Elder in our church, but Mother taught me about Jesus and what it was like to be Christlike. She did that through her actions. She’s always been welcoming to others, no matter how much money a person had or what color of skin a person had or what sex they were.

She always loved her flowers, especially irises and roses. I believe her mother passed that preference down, which was passed to her from her mother, whose own mother passed that down, and so on.

When any of us got sick, Mother was the one who took care of all the kids. She has been a great mother in that aspect.

She would defend all of us but point out when we were wrong. She is an honest woman, full of integrity. She’d always say, “Bill, do the right thing” or “What would Jesus do?”

Even though she doesn’t get out very much now, she still lives on about two acres of her grandfather’s farm where she grew up. That goes back over 100 years. It was the country back then. She to this day reminds us what it was like growing up on the farm—all of the chores she had, like gathering eggs from the chicken. I remember being 4 or 5 and she walked David and myself over to check on some farm hands, Robert and Roseleigh, who lived on the farm. There was a dispute going on between the two and mother stopped them from fighting. This is where the family garden was planted. After we got what we wanted from the garden, our neighbors would come and get all they wanted. Today, that garden area is Rogers Park, off of Bradyville Pike and Rutherford Boulevard. Her father gave eight acres to the city for a park for the citizens. Mom taught us to look out for one another.

Mom had a baby blue El Dorado Cadillac convertible. She would come driving up to Campus School with the top down and, man oh man, I thought I was the stuff. She loved my friends. She told us Bible stories and reassured us that everything was gonna be okay, especially during thunderstorms. She is a faithful woman and she and Dad were married for 64 years before his passing 10 years ago. She has been the example of what a Southern lady looks like and acts like.

She has many friends and she loves to play bridge and do her puzzles. She also is a animal lover and has had many lap dogs over the years. She has loved her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. When she was given the opportunity, she has loved unconditionally.

When that day comes, as it will for all of us, it will be a sad day, but we will rejoice knowing she’s with Jesus.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I love you and thank you for being the greatest mom ever. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there.

Remember to go out and do something nice for somebody. God bless!