I'm a momma's boy. There...I said it. I needed to say it to put the next few paragraphs into context.
Next Sunday is Mother's Day and, as I write this, I'm forecasting a high near 80 degrees, a low in the mid 60s and a 30% chance of rain for that all-important holiday.
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Holiday weather forecasts always get a lot of attention -- and Mother's day is no exception. While there's always pressure to get the forecast right, there's added pressure for most meteorologists on Mother's Day! I have to admit, though, that I don't feel that extra pressure.
I don't feel it because the weather outside has nothing to do with the atmosphere created on that special day set aside for that very special woman who brought or our children into the world.
As for the forecast here are the nuts and bolts: An upper level low and a cold front will bring higher rain chances from Thursday through Sunday. It's a little early to pinpoint exactly when and exactly how much rain we can expect, but right now it looks like the weekend brings our best chance. And, yes, this weekend is Mother's Day weekend.
There's no pressure, though. Rain doesn't matter. What matters is planning a special memory for that special woman and mother. And THAT is not contingent on a sunny day.
(My mother, Francetta Cole, at age of 7 or 8 in 1927 or 1928 with her mother Mayne and father Andrew)
As a "momma's boy" I was not ashamed to proclaim my love for my mother when I was growing up. As a kid, my mother never had to worry about me getting lost in the store. She could always feel the ever present tug of her son holding her skirt!
I'm that same "momma's boy" today. But I don't have a skirt to grab. Instead, I have many memories of many special moments. Times when only a mother's love could help heal physical and mental hurts.
I'm biased of course, but I'm quite sure that I had one of the best Mothers of all time. She touched the lives of so many people and helped me build my foundation of personal responsibility and integrity.
I lost her to cancer in 1983, two years and one month after I lost my Grandmother. I lost them physically, but I've never lost their spirit in my heart and in my life.
(Summer of 1980, from left, M.C. Payne, Francetta Marshall, Juanda Marshall, Francine Marshall)
When I think of my mother, I smile. I think of all the great women who have sacrificed more than most will ever know so that their children will have better opportunities than they had. My mother, my wife, my sister. Your mother, your aunt, your sister or friends. They all deserve special recognition every day. Mother's Day is set aside for us to make up for the other 364 days when we likely fall a little short in that task.
(Me, Debbie, Danielle Marshall & Cami Marshall Anthony)
So, know that there is a chance for rain this Mother's Day. But make absolutely sure that there's no chance to dampen this special day for the special woman in your life!