A Tribute to my Mother

Tender isn’t enough when your husband suddenly dies, leaving you with eight children to rear, ranging in age from 1-18; especially when you have only an 8^th grade education.

Tender isn’t enough when you are financially, spiritually, and physically supporting eight dependent children, not to mention the lonely days and nights being a single parent; house and car repairs—oh wait, you don’t drive; but you have the old pickup for when the kids learn to drive; education, accidents, illness, marriages, grandchildren.

Tender doesn’t get you a job, or fix the meals, or clean the house, or milk the cows, feed the chickens, pigs, or horses.

Tender isn’t enough when you are planting, irrigating, cultivating and harvesting a huge vegetable garden, canning vegetables and fruit to last the winter. Also, a field to grow alfalfa and fruit trees.

Tender may help but it is not enough to make you want to take treats to all the old folks in town on every holiday; or visit the widows, the lonely, the mothers with new babies; and your sister daily after working at the Post Office all day.

Tender didn’t get you the only office job in town, that of Post Master.

Tender doesn’t make you love the children as Junior Sunday School coordinator for years.

Tender doesn’t help you give readings at funerals and special celebrations.

Tender isn’t enough to get you through the trauma of a malignant brain tumor resulting in numerous surgeries and cobalt.

You gotta be tough too. Very tough.

Amy Heaton

Amy Heaton & Lynn Esplin - Orderville 1926

Navajo Lake 1927

The brood Mama was left to support and rear. 1947
Verla 1, Carol Lee 5, Jerry 9, Jeanette 10, DeLoy 12, Lynn 14, Lucy 16, Shirley 18.

Amy Heaton Esplin - Orderville Post Master

A stinkbug lands on Carol.

Carol Lee, Shirley, Jeanette, Jerry, Mama, Lucy, Lynn, Verla

Orderville 1950

Esplin Children by age 1956: Mama, Shirley, Lucy, Lynn, DeLoy, Jeanette, Jerry, Carol, Verla

DeLoy, Jeanette, Jerry, Lucy, Lynn,
Shirley, Verla, Mama, Carol
1960 Orderville

Grandma and Grandson Brooke
Grand Canyon 1972

The Courage that my Mother had

By Edna St. Vincent Millay

The courage that my mother had
Went with her, and is with her still:
Rock from New England quarried;
Now granite in a granite hill.

The golden brooch my mother wore
She left behind for me to wear;
I have no thing I treasure more:
Yet, it is something I could spare.

Oh, if instead she'd left to me
The thing she took into the grave!-

That courage like a rock, which she
Has no more need of, and I have.