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Memories of Truth
By Mona Lease

Hi, all!! I'm amazed - yet again - at how these columns follow each other. Last week was about how women - at large - treated men when they were expressing their new found freedoms and liberties. I found out last Friday that an old girlfriend's boyfriend...who became a friend of mine for the last 28+ years - died.

We lived four lots apart in the same mobile home park. I lived with my young son - buying a mobile home - a single Mom trying to make it all work. My mind was on the usual - job, bills, school clothes, car repairs, food, vacations, etc. When Old Man Winter huffed and puffed..blowing a drift of snow as high as the top of the bumper on my car - somehow it got shoveled. I could get to work and wherever else I needed to go. I did not shovel it...nor did my son. It would be years before my son heard "him and his brother" talking while they shoveled out my driveway. Yep - you guessed it - the "mysterious shoveler" is the friend of mine who recently died.

There were other single Mothers in the mobile home court - he did not shovel out their driveways. I finally figured out that my lifestyle must have spoken for itself - no wild parties - no constant parade of different guys or "unseemly" behavior.

He knew I loved him like a brother - I told him that after his brother (the other "shoveler") died of cancer some 8 years ago or so. We understood, and both believed (and lived) "that all we have is each other in this life. We believed that - in the end - we make it harder on ourselves when we live our lives with no regard for others and their rights to live their life how they see fit to do so."

One of my fondest memories is when his son - maybe four at the time - had had a round of shots that all kids get. Being the proud Dad he was and showing his love and concern for his young son - he knocked on my door all frantic. His son had a low-grade temperature...was drinking a whole lot of milk...and Dad was beyond concerned. He asked me: "Do you know Dr. So&So? Will you call him for me? Is it safe to give my son this fever-reducer? Will it interfere with the shots? How long should I give it (the fever-reducer) to my son? Are there going to be any side-effects to this? How long will the side-effects last? How will I know if the side-effects are severe and I need to take him to the hospital?" I relayed the information the Dr had given me to the Dad who stood shuffling his feet. He said thanks and left. The kiddie was fine.

That kiddie came down to play with my son and ended up becoming like a son to me. I doubt that he's fine as I pen this column. He lost his Mother to cancer some 5 years ago or so. Now his Father has lost his short battle with cancer. In a situation like this - there's just not much you can say or do.

RIP, VAR. I'm glad I knew you. You made my life better in more ways than I realized. I see your smile as you cracked one of your jokes. I remember the look we exchanged when you said you were raising your son your way - period.

Remember the kiddies and our service people. Take good care of the furry and feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy. See ya next time. Ever Toodles!! MONA


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