Honor Thy Mother & Father

This last weekend I had to absolute pleasure of getting to celebrate two wonderful occasions – my Mommala’s 70th birthday followed by Father’s Day. In honor of these special occasions, I wrote a little something to share with those who gathered together. I wanted to share it with the rest of our “family” both near and far, so here it is for your enjoyment:

We’ve all gathered together, some from near, some from far
We’ve traveled by plane, by foot, and by car.

It didn’t take an arm twist or any persuasion
To all come together for a wonderful occasion.

I know we’re all ‘cited to see who’s arrived
But there’s one lady here born in ‘45

Who we all love so dearly and who is both family and friend
And who’s now in her 70’s which we can’t comprehend.

She’s a mom to so many, it just comes naturally,
But the kids she gave birth to number just three.

Audrey, Jason, & Robyn are her own prides of joy
and her son-in-law John is a wonderful goy.

She’s been married to Phil now for 48 years
They’ve have good times and bad, have laughed and shed tears.

Despite being retired, she’s still really quite lively
Working at the Alliance which is just precisely

Why she gives of her time and she does with such heart
To help kids and their families to gain a fresh start.

She spends Tuesdays there most times on the phone
Where she does her part to help kids feel not so alone.

She’s a sucker for shoes and could shop til she drops
And at 70 years old we must give her props.

Now, Clarks are her favorites and she’s owned quite a few
After all, it’s about comfort when buying a shoe.

Shopping with Janice is her favorite pastime.
There’s nothing like a sister who’s your partner in crime.

She adores both her dogs, sweet Shana & Molly,
Though her first dog from youth was a beautiful Collie.

She loves her some coffee, but doesn’t go to extremes,
Just some sweetener for her and a little milk but not crème.

She’s there with a hug whenever one’s needed
She’ll be sure that you’re hemoglobin level’s exceeded.

She’s a lover of bees and has quite a collection
and has filled all our lives with so much affection.

That it’s our absolute pleasure to celebrate with you
Happy 70^th Mommala and thanks for all that you do!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now this weekend is special and there’s another reason why
We get to celebrate Father’s Day with a really great guy.

Some call him dad, and some call him Phil
As a youth he walked to school and both ways were uphill.

He loves telling jokes and they start off just fine
But it never fails he cracks up just before the punchline.

His time in the service he will often recall
And the past several years he’s helped at the Sky Ball.

He’s built furniture in his shop, so many great things
He’s a master composter and enjoys gardening.

For Camp Impact he’s made frames and dogs out of wood
For the kids to have keepsakes to remember times that were good.

He teaches a driver safety course for AARP
Which is a great way to stay active for this retiree.

He works with the police and respects what they do
The job is important of those who wear blue.

He’s been in plays for the synagogue and was even a king
Though it was just an acting part as he was not asked to sing.

He can photoshop someone into or out of a pic
If you haven’t seen his work, it’s really quite slick.

He can sometimes be found out on a bike ride
Or taking the dogs for a stroll as they walk side by side.

He’s the leader of the Seder and reads along in the book
But always cracks up as he tells us all “LOOK!”

The recipe for dirt can be found in his care
If there’s a question about history, just ask-he was there.

Now this is usually his shtick, causing laughs or a moan,
But THIS time it’s your day from the daughter of Author Unknown.