My Ornery Mom

By Calvert F Cazier, PhD, MPH | September 24, 2024

The other day I was going through some boxes of old papers and pictures as part of a family history project I’m working on. I found several treasures that I want to share with my sons and grandchildren.

Below is a short story I found written by my oldest son, Paul, entitled “My Life”. I found it a fascinating and interesting vision of his home life. He wrote it for an eighth-grade English assignment.

Paul’s Story

Here is the basic story of my life. “Paaauul come dooo the dishes nowwww!!! my mother shouts as I run to the kitchen fearing for my life.

As I’m running, BOOF, I plug myself into the wall. “Paaul doon’t yoou ruunnn in this hooouuse!! Doo you heear mee?” By this time the house is ready to cave in from vibrating shock waves. I dragged myself into the kitchen fearful of another earthquake in the Cazier home.

“What do you want Mom?” I ask. “Do the dishes, sweep the floor, then mop it” she replies with a trace of anger. I feel like Cinderfella. I can just picture myself singing songs with all the pests lurking in the cracks in the house. I do the dishes while I sit and feel sorry for myself. I finally finish, but I have to pass the “Carol Cazier “After Your Work Is Done Test”. Of course, my mother comes in and says, “It looks pretty nice, but I feel some sticky spots on the floor, oh and the counter hasn’t been wiped with a wet rag.” It takes me another hour to pass that test.

After passing the test, I asked if I could go over to my friend’s house and play. Of course, I asked my dad so I might have a chance. He says yes, and out I go into my adventurous public world.

I sprint over to my friend’s house before my dad tells my mom that I’m gone. I beg with my friend to hurry up so we can leave before my mom calls me home to do some more work.

We decide our adventure for this day will be trudging through the ditches. Mud, oh, what a wonderful sight to a boy looking for something to do. It can be anything you want it to be, from a great monster trying to suck you in its mouth, to the ammunition used in horrible battles that only an imagination can come up with. While playing war in this Heaven, we spy an enemy, Kristen, the cute blond-haired girl living in the house on the corner of our street. It took only two bombs to defeat the enemy.

To celebrate our victory, we began walking to the corner grocery store to buy some candy, and next thing I know, I hear tires screeching. No, not mom! I want to run but my feet won’t carry me. “Paul S Cazier, you get in this car right now!” My heart sank. Apparently, the enemy struck back, with her own bomb. It was called, “M.O.M.” In other words, ‘My Ornery Mother!’

As I got in the car my mother officially made me a prisoner of war, by grounding me for a month. So back into slavery I go wanting desperately to break free into that wonderful thing called, “OUTSIDE”.

This is an interesting perspective from a young boy about his mother. I’m sure it was how he really felt some of the time, but he also knew that his mother loved him and only wanted what was best for his personal growth and development.

Years later, this same little boy, living far away from home, wrote a letter to his mother that was much different than the story you just read. It began,

“To the most fabulous mom in the world!”

“I’m going to write a book someday about you. I’ll call it something like this, ‘My Mother’s Secret: Sacrifice, Service, and Love’.

Mom, I love you so much. I hope I can be a worthy son of your love. The phrase ‘Words can’t describe’ fits me exactly when I think of what you really mean to me…”

Paul explains in his letter that he was in a meeting when someone asked a woman who was present, “What sacrifices have you made as a mother and wife?” Paul then made this comment, “my thoughts immediately went home. You could have excelled in a career. You could have gone to college. You could have traveled the world. You could have done anything you wanted, and yet you chose to sacrifice all those opportunities for two little boys that call you mom.”

These two examples, recorded at different times in a son’s life, are reflective of his level of maturity. It is interesting how smart our parents become as we grow older and have to fend for ourselves and raise children of our own.

As parents we need to continue to love our children, appreciate them, want what is best for them, expect them to learn to work, correct them when they need correcting, and help them understand that we always have their best interests in mind. Paul’s mother knew this and provided him with the greatest blessing a boy could ever
want and need: LOVE!!!!

Happy Failing Forward,

Calvert Cazier

PS Want to help your kids have less stress and more success at home and school? CLICK HERE to get a copy of our book, The Resiliency Toolkit: A Busy Parent’s Guide to Raising Happy, Confident, Successful Children.

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