Twenty-Three (Again)

It's time for my annual homage to the woman who went a long way to make me who I am today; a strong-willed, competitive, pain-in-the-keister, who nevertheless has a tight circle of friends.

Perhaps it was because of these traits (some would probably say in spite of them) my mom had a tight circle of friends who were like siblings to her. We even called some of them Aunt and Uncle and were extremely close to them. This was just how it was.

But let's face it. Mother was competitive in everything. Those of you who knew her will remember the Church Carnivals. I remember her as always either being active in or directing the activities of the church carnival. Then, this one year when she stepped aside from the chair and someone else stepped in.

I can't remember the reason she stepped aside, but it was not pretty. She tried to hide it, but it was clear to those of us who knew her that she disapproved of her successor. And with reason. Some of the contracts the church entered into that year were pretty questionable. The games, always had been cobbled together by the members of the church; the fishing pond, the duck pluck, the wheel of fortune, other such innocent and innocuous games were replaced by a shooting gallery, a rigged basketball shoot, and other carny games that were provided by a carnival company. The spirit of the carnival had changed and the feeling of it was ruined. Mom had been right, she probably could have done better.

Today would have been my mother's twenty-third birthday. (It's odd being twice your mother's age, but there it is!) Happy birthday, Mom!

Wherever you are today, I hope you have a wonderful day!

Don Bergquist - January 25, 2009 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA