ROCK OF AGES

Ten years ago or so, Mama Bore gave her five adult children rocks for Christmas onto which she’d written her motherly motto: “I love you the most.” It’s sort of a running gag in the family and her way of saying she has enough love to give around to everyone. When we were growing up, Big Sis was her favorite oldest daughter, Beans was her favorite oldest son, I was the favorite middle child, and so on. There would be no showing of favoritism. We each thought we were top dog in her heart.

I don’t know what the other sibs did with their rocks, but I put mine in a backyard garden area. It is not the one pictured above, however. A few weeks ago when I was pulling weeds by Mom’s front porch, I was digging around and discovered a round rock that was mostly buried into the ground. What a nice rock, I thought, so I dug it up; and when I turned it over to exam it, there were the words: “I love you the most!” I took it home with me, of course, and it is now in my front yard garden by the bird bath.

When I told Mom what I had found, she laughed and said she remembered having an extra one, so she had placed it in her own yard. Over the years, it got lost in the earth--out of sight, out of mind. Since I am the one who found it, I am not only claiming rights to it but I am also making it official. Now that I have TWO special rocks, there is no doubt: Mom loves me the most!