Happy Mother’s Day, Pa
By
Debbie B
“There’s
a letter from
Ben,
who had been resting in his weary body in his favorite chair, quickly jumped to
his feet and met his middle son half way across the room. He had been waiting all day, hoping to
receive some word from his youngest son who had been gone for nearly a month to
“What’s
it say?” asked Adam as he stood to his feet and moved behind Ben, trying to
read over his father’s shoulder.
“Does
he say when he’s comin’ home?” Hoss wanted to know.
“Hold
on, hold on, give me a minute to read it,” laughed Ben who glanced quickly at
both boys.
Ben
chuckled, he had missed his son terribly and from the looks on Adam and Hoss’
faces, it was evident that they had missed Little Joe as well. Ben moved back to his chair and sat down,
opening with care the folded papers. His
eyes quickly scanned the letter and then he glanced up at Hoss.
“Sorry
son, he doesn’t say anything about when he’ll be home. Now give me a minute to read it, Adam, and
I’ll share the news with you,” Ben smiled.
Ben
began reading silently the words scribbled in his youngest son’s backhanded
writing.
Dear Pa,
I just wanted to write a quick note. I knew I wouldn’t make it home in time to
tell you in person, but I didn’t want to miss the chance to say what’s in my
heart. Besides, it’s easier to say on
paper what’s hard to put in words when standing face to face to someone whom
you care as much about as I care about you.
I don’t know why that is, but it is, maybe because I’m older now and
telling your Pa, ‘I love you’, seems a little harder to say when you’re twenty
instead of ten.
I want to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day…please,
don’t laugh at me, Pa, because I mean it from the bottom of my heart. You have been the best father a guy could
ever have; all three of us know that.
But you’ve been more than just a father to me; you’ve been a mother to
me as well. It may sound silly, and I’m
sure that if my friends heard me talking like this, well, they’d probably laugh
and make fun of me. But I don’t care. It’s true.
I remember nights after Ma died, when you would come
into my room and stay with me when I’d had a nightmare and had trouble going
back to sleep. I always knew that I could count on you to stay right there with
me, all night if I needed you too, and come morning when I woke up, sure
enough, you’d be there. Thanks, Pa!
I remember other times, like when I was sick and
needed nursing, you never sent to town for some strange woman to come out and
care for me, not my
And Pa, those times that I was in trouble, you were
always there to bail me out. And let’s
not forget the lectures that I had to sit through and all the shouting you did,
and I remember the thrashings as well.
All because you wanted me to be a better person and grow up with values
and be someone whom you could be proud of. I’m not sure I’ve gotten there yet, but I’m
trying Pa, all because you instilled in me the desire to be a man of honor like
yourself. I don’t think I’ll ever
compare with you, you are the finest man I’ve ever known and I’m proud as proud
can be that God saw fit to make you my Pa and my ma.
I
can remember when I when I was little and still in school. When we would have those special mother day
banquets and I didn’t have a mama to go with me, you never complained or seemed
to feel out of place being the only father there. The kids used to make fun of me, but after
awhile they were amazed that you came back, year after year. And I remember some of the fellas telling me
how neat they thought you were and how lucky that I was cause I had a pa that
didn’t mind being a mother for just one day.
Well, Pa, it wasn’t just one day. It was every day. You were both pa and ma to me and there are
no words that I could ever say to you that would explain to you the depths of
love, respect, gratitude, and thanks that I have in my heart for all that you
have done and given to me.
Saying thank you just doesn’t seem enough,
somehow. I feel like I’ve given very
little in return for your sacrifices and all your hard work at making me what I
am today. But I want you to know that I
appreciate everything that you have ever done, for every tear that you have
shed for me, for every whispered prayer that you have prayed and for every
ounce of love you have in your heart for me.
Happy Mother’s Day, Pa
Your loving and devoted son,
Joseph Francis Cartwright.
Ben
slowly folded the letter in half and stuck it back into the envelope. As he stood up, he placed the envelope into
his vest pocket, next to his heart.
Without a word or glance, he turned from his sons and headed for the
door.
“Pa?”
Adam called out.
Ben
stopped as he placed his hat on his head.
“Yes, Adam?”
Adam
glanced at Hoss and then back at his father.
“Is everything okay?”
Ben
smiled, “Yes, son, everything’s just fine, why?”
“Well,
from the look on your face, we just thought that something might be wrong. What did Joe say?” Adam explained.
Ben’s
smile broadened as he strapped on his gun and holster. “Oh, he just wrote to wish me happy Mother’s
Day.” Ben turned and was out the door
before either Adam or Hoss could make a comment.
Hoss
glanced at Adam; both wore confused expressions on their faces as they stared
at one another.
Outside,
alone, Ben pulled his handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped the tears
from his eyes before blowing his nose.
As he stood, propped against the railing of the fence, he glanced upward
and smiled.
“Thank
you Lord. I wasn’t aware that I had done
such a fine job, being both mother and father to that boy, I mean. Seems like he’s gonna turn out all right
after all. Happy Mother’s Day, Marie my
love!”
The End
2003