Today is the birthday of Jessie Maud Shannon Dooley, my Mom. One of the easier ones to remember, the week before Christmas. When I was home, we always trimmed our Christmas Tree on her birthday, so it has always been a big day in my life.
She got a little cheated though, all the activity of getting the tree, trimming it, didn't leave much time to celebrate her "day."
As I write this, I am looking at a little rocking chair, which was hers, and is well over one hundred years old, it was one of her "treasures." She often told how, as a child, on Christmas morning, her gifts would be by her chair, perhaps a plate of "goodies" on the chair, she cherished that little chair.
Mom was a PK, a Preacher's Kid. Her Father being a minister in the old United Brethren Church, and he later became a Bishop in the Church. She could relate many stories about incidents that arose from being a PK.
She loved a good time. She was never happier than when she had her family together, sitting at the dinner table and enjoying one of her meals. She loved to cook for them. She loved good times.
She was a perfect Doctors wife, she took the disappointments and cancellations in stride, his medical practice came first. In the early years when we had our home and office together, she often had to do what today is called, "Triage." It was not uncommon to have many patients in our living room, overflow from the office, and Mom would have to decide what was serious and needed immediate attention.
Fred Taylor, the Ohio State basketball coach legend, was brought to their home once by a mutual friend, they just stopped by to say hello. Mom and just baked an apple pie. Before they left, Coach Taylor had two pieces of pie, a number of cups of coffee, and spent a few hours talking with Mom and Dad in that homey dining room on Montgomery Road. Coach even tried his had at a little fishing in their pond. He said he had never enjoyed an afternoon quite so much. That's just the way Mom and Dad were, gracious and giving.
Mom left us many years ago, I have forgotten may dates since then, but her birthday will never be forgotten, one week before Christmas. Happy Birthday.
