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5/08/2011

Mother's Day, 2011


Today is Mother's Day.

When I was a wee lad, in Catholic School, the Dominican Nuns seemed to feel threatened by the fact that I was (and am) left handed. Some superstition about the Devil or other, I suppose.

They sent me home from school one day because I wasn't able to do what they asked - to write my exercises with my right hand. My crying woke up my Mom. She worked nights at the phone company as an Operator, and she slept during the day.

She marched me back to school and right to the rectory and stood toe to toe with Monsignor Cummings and told him in no uncertain terms that she wasn't working her fingers to the bone to pay the tuition to send me to school only to have the Nuns get all freaky because I was (and am) left handed.

Nobody EVER said anything to me, again, about being left handed.

I was too young to understand, then. I understand now. I have kids of my own - and I understand.

Thanks Mom. Happy Mother's Day. I love you.

And Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers out there.

Ndinombethe.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

As someone who survived the trauma of Catholic schools, I UNDERSTAND!

P.S. You know that lefties are the only ones in their right mind?

Signed the wife of a leftie.

Tara R. said...

Atta girl Mom! My dad is left handed, and his mom was a spitfire too.

Anonymous said...

I was a left-handed Catholic school kid too, but I had a monster IQ as a kid(I think some of it has lapsed now!) & my dad was the Catholic school's janitor for 30 years....so no one said ANYTHING to me.
But hurray for your Mom.
~Mary

Sage Ravenwood said...

Wonderful heartwarming story about your mother sweet friend. (Hugs)Indigo

Bama Cheryl said...

Great Mom story, Lou! And so reminiscent of Catholic schools. Ya gotta love it!

Jientje said...

Being lefthanded AND a mother, I LOVED this post. Thanks Lou, I had a great mother's day today.

loraine said...

Great story! There is some "sinister hand" issue among some religious groups- particularly Catholicism- that I wonder about as it doesn't seem to originate from early Christianity... correct me if I'm wrong?