Oldies but goodies

" As usual Mom was right: Kelly had done her job and done oldies but goodies well. There are literally thousands of incidents I haven't documented here to show how special she was. Like the time I was laid up with knee surgery and couldn't walk, couldn't drive. Kelly just took over my duties as father and got the children to school meetings, hockey games and swim meets. Like when Cathy was so sick in the cancer ward. she became mother and father to the children then, because neither of us was able. Like when we first set up our triangle arrangement. It was Kelly who imposed a rule that neither Cathy nor I had thought of. When Cathy and I were having a fight, or I was in the doghouse over something, Kelly was off limits for me. she reasoned that the last thing a marriage needed was for one or the other of us to have someone to be sympathetic and undermine the relationship. There were times, I have no doubt, that she could have moved in on a situation and may well have helped to separate Cathy and me, but that's not what Kelly was all about. I had a million things I wanted to say at this point, but now that my fingers are on the keyboard I can't think of a single thing. Perhaps the entire story I've just related says oldies but goodies all. That is, after all, why I wrote the story. It's my tribute to a pretty wonderful guy. Mom is still alive, living in a retirement home in Toronto. She is now 84 years old, still drives her own car, keeps active socially, and is still the same inspiration to her loved ones that she always was. She sold the house about six years ago and lived with Robbie for a year or so, but she missed her independence. We hope to be enjoying Mom for a long time to come.