Thoughts & Reflections

I am Marty's Mother and being his mother I have so many memories of his life as a child, a teenager, and an adult. My memories go back to a time when Steve, Marty's brother was about 18 months old. Cindy, his sister, was a newborn, Marty was 2 years & 8 months old. I had my babies so close together, at that time I had 2 babies on the bottle. I didn't have a clothes dryer, so when I did the laundry Marty would walk with me to hang up diapers. He would hand me the diapers and I would hang them on the line. After we had finished I would bend down and put Marty on my back for his ride back to the house. He was my little helper. When one baby needed a bottle, he would run to the fridge and bring it to me. Sometimes he would get him one, but didn't want us to know he still liked a bottle. He wanted to be a little man & Mother's little helper. The first day of school was so exciting for him. My sister Daphine and I took him and Randy, Daphine's son, to school There were a lot of children crying and Marty didn't seem to understand why they were crying. He just sat there and watched. I guess before he was to go to school I had told him how he would like school and how he would learn a lot of things and he wasn't scared. He would at me and smile. He was so small, just standing waiting on the bus. The next day I walked him across the road and waited with him. After that he said I can do it by myself mom. So I would wait on the porch until he was on the bus. He was so smart in school, never had a problem learning at all. When Marty was in the fourth grade his teacher was Leona Williamson. She simply adored Marty. The fourth grade had their annual school program, Marty got the lead role. His part was Dragger Dunkin. He played a kid who put off doing his homework and was always late for school. His part had about 8 or 10 pages to memorize. He was so good and at each bow he got a standing ovation. You should have seen his face, he had a smile from ear to ear. I felt so proud of him. I will never forget our time together while he was learning the part. I would help him, but he made the part seem so real. I'll skip ahead to when he was in the seventh & eighth grade. Mr. Rhyne Shelton wanted Marty to play football. I was a little scared for him to play, I thought he might get hurt. But he wanted to play so bad, that I finally agreed to let him play. He was one of the best players that Mr. Shelton had, and Marty just loved the game. At the end of the season they were the top team so they all got to go to a fish camp and take their dad with them. Marty's dad was never home for things like that so Marty took me. There we were Marty, Tommy and me, going to the fish camp. Marty really had fun and he got an award, but I don't know what he did with it. I have so many memories of Marty, his happy times and his sad times. I always thought a mother should go before her child, but I guess he was needed in Heaven. I know I am selfish I wanted to keep him here. The pain of losing him is almost unbearable. At times I am fine and I know he is an Angel and that God wanted him there. Then there are times that I am actually mad at God for taking him. I never knew what it was like to have this kind of pain in my heart. I know I have lost my Mom and Dad, Daphine and Mary and the hurt was real bad, but nothing could ever compare to the pain of losing your Child. So I will always remember the loving son I have and cope with his passing as best I can. One day I will see him standing there waiting for me to come be with him. My love is forever, Never to stop. My Dear Sweet Marty you will always be missed and your memories will always be cherished. No love is greater than than the love of a mother. So I now have an Angel in heaven just waiting for his family to join him.