HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

by Pam

A day in the life of a sailor's mom ... and sail #2842 still calls White Rock home...

Geriselda Balboa (1936-2001)



4-15-73  - Yesterday I was in the mood to write, but by the time supper dishes were finished, I had no energy left.  The day had started at six o’clock when I heard noises in the kitchen and went to see who was up on Saturday morning.  My oldest son, Robert, was fixing his breakfast and leaving to try to get his sailboat repaired and ready for the first race in the National Butterfly Regatta.  I didn’t feel too much sympathy for him since he had waited till the last minute to begin to fix that boat, and I had to leave at 8:30 for a full day of Cub Scout Leader’s Training.  Back to bed I went for an hour more of sleep.

At ten o’clock in the middle of learning to plant terrariums, I left to take a cake to the lake for the racers’ lunch.  As I turned onto the road curving around White Rock Lake and looked across the choppy waters, I could see the fifty or more white sails with little, black butterflys on them leaning in the brisk wind.  I felt a stab in my chest and a lump in my throat.  I hoped Robert was there.  This only happened once a year and meant a lot to him.  Further on I drove into the muddy parking area beside a sign that said ‘Welcome Butterflyers’ and there was his little, blue car with a sign that said ‘sailors have more fun.’  On the dock I delivered the cake and strained for the sight of number 2842 without success, but everyone assured me he was out there, so I went back to playing cub scout again and turned my attention to the coping saw and a turtle I was trying to cut out.

Back home in the evening my little ones greeted me as a long lost mother, looked over the things I had made and were content to play with the salt-flour clay I mixed up while I got supper ready.  I’d have to call it a good day.