Mother’s Day 2022 Newsletter
“I am sure that if the mothers of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars.”
You are born on the West Side of Chicago in 1952. You grow up with two working parents, an older sister and three younger brothers. You have fond memories of growing up on the West Side. Your house is filled with love. Your house is filled with prayer and, like it or not, you attend mass every Sunday. When you walk outside, everyone knows everyone. Everyone is connected. It takes a village.
Today you live on the West Side of Chicago — mere blocks from the house where you grew up. You have three children of your own. You are raising your grandson to whom you are both grandma and mom. Your house is filled with love. Your house is filled with prayer. You and your grandson go to church every Sunday. Your grandson never leaves the house before you pray for him to be safe and make good decisions. When you walk outside, everyone knows everyone. Everyone is connected. It still takes a village.
Life has come full circle. Home is still stability. You credit God for keeping you safe. You are grateful and at peace. It seems like a simple story. But in between….well, let’s just say stability wasn’t quite the word to describe your life.
You are at John Marshall High School. Temptation finds you in your teens. It doesn’t let go for forty years. Smoking. Drinking. Partying. At some point you befriend members of Earth, Wind and Fire and you find yourself at their concerts. You are living a life of glitz and glamour. You remember being introduced to Sammy Davis, Jr. And you are still smoking, drinking and partying. (Today, your youngest son teasingly calls you The O.G.- Original Gangster)
You become street-wise and spend most of your 20s, 30s and 40s living a fast life. At some point you graduate Wright Jr. College with a Business Administration degree. You find work at a currency exchange but eventually the streets came calling and you answer. You meet a boxer from Mississippi. You decide to follow him down South, settle down, and get married. But you quickly realize that you are a woman whose home is the West Side of Chicago and not in Mississippi. You pick up and leave, never even bothering to divorce. You are still technically married. You are great friends with your “husband” whom you talk to almost every day and study the Bible over the phone.
It is now 2011 and you are tired. Real tired. The glitz and glamour are just a memory now. Home is not filled with love or prayer. You have been asked by your grandson’s mother to take over the role of mother. Your daughter is sick and eventually succumbs to kidney failure. You decide enough is enough.
Today you are the proud mother/grandmother of a teenage boy. You are his rock. He is your life. You have two sons whom you love deeply. Your favorite days are having your sons grill outside and enjoy a meal as a family. The days of partying are long gone. You like to cook (especially greens and corn bread). You binge watch “The Walking Dead.” Now the O.G. stands for Outstanding Grandmother. I have had the privilege of knowing both you and your grandson, and I can definitely attest that you are an O.G.
As it happens, all the families that “Just One Dash” works with are led by single mothers. Just like everyone has just one dash, everyone has their own story and journey. I wrote about another mother’s story last time. Our primary area that we are serving is the West Side of Chicago. Life is hard. JOD is just trying to make it a little easier. Right now we have more demand that supply. Next time you are shopping at Target or adding items to your Amazon cart, we would love to have you think of “Just One Dash” and grab an item or two. If you would like to help in other ways, I can be reached on my cell at 847-452-5121 or by email at terry@justonedash.org. It still takes a village.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there. From the O.G., to the mom’s that work with JOD and especially to my Mom — we could not do it without you. Thank you for everything that you do. We love you.
While everyone’s life ends with the same dash, everyone’s life begins with a mother.