A friend recently posted a great article about Cracker Barrel restaurants. It was a well written piece by a young man who ruminated on the sociology and political aspects of the national chain, noting that behind the hokey facade, the restaurant had once been far from the welcoming place that it now appears to be. He spoke of a time of innocence when he and his family traveled from Houston to the north stopping at every Cracker Barrel along their route, oblivious to the chain’s sometimes racist past. He wondered if he might have viewed the place in a different light had he always known that its founders from Tennessee had at one time perpetrated the Jim Crow policies of the past. I suppose that Cracker Barrel is one of those eateries that evinces different responses from different people. It may be viewed as a bastion of old time comfort food or a fat farm filled with dishes that defile the human body. Some may enjoy the quirky gift shop or laugh at it in disdain. Others may feel uncomfortable in an atmosphere that reminds them of a time in the south that wasn’t always kind to all people. I suspect that most people simply like the place for its rather reliable menu when traveling on the road and are blissfully unaware of any skeletons in its closet. For me it is a place that evokes fond memories of Friday nights with my mom. Continue reading “Life is a Garden”
Category: Mothers
Morning Will Come
The State of the Union speech last evening reminded me how quickly time goes by. Eight years ago I was not yet in my sixties. I was still working at KIPP Houston High School and my mother was not only alive but appeared to be incredibly healthy. Most of my grandchildren were still toddlers or very young school children. It would have been impossible for me to even imagine the many changes that have taken place in my life and the world at large. As is the usual case with most of us I assumed that things would continue just as they were back then. It never occurred to me that I would lose loved ones and good friends in the coming years. I was not even thinking about retirement nor did I ever consider that one day I would spend hours writing every single day. I barely knew some of the people who are now so important to me. I was completely caught up in my day to day routine and had little time to reflect on where I had been, where I was, or where I hoped to go. In other words I tended to take everything for granted. Continue reading “Morning Will Come”
You Are Beautiful
I have to admit that I’m a competitive person and a control freak. I love having everything around me well organized. I’m one of those people who has to take a deep breath to keep from overreacting when I see rowdy children who are taking advantage of their mothers and making the rest of us miserable with their noise and bad behavior. I like order and design around me. I like being in charge of my domain and so when my mother was alive she and I would often vie for position, even as far back as when I was a child. I was one of those quiet, passive aggressive souls who looked really good to those on the outside but tried my mom’s patience back at home. She was always a bit baffled by my independent spirit as though she never thought to consider that I had modeled myself after her. While my brothers generally conformed to her wishes I was constantly questioning her. I suspect that it was exhausting for her to continually find herself wondering why I was so strong willed. We were, in fact, two of a kind! Continue reading “You Are Beautiful”
All It Takes Is A Little Love 