Lee Duigon

From May 10, 2015

My mother, Claire L. Duigon, is no longer here for Mother’s Day.

But I am–and I’m a chip off the old block. My mother had a very strong personality, and she passed it on to me. Consequently, throughout our lives, there were many occasions on which the sparks would fly. That was only because we were so much alike.

Whatever else they did, my mother and father–supported by grandparents, aunts, and uncles–did one thing right, one thing that was truly valuable and necessary, for which I honor them and thank them to this day. My folks saw to it that their children knew God their Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the Son of God, their Savior.

As a young child I thought my mother was way cooler than all the other kids’ mothers. My ma played! Other mothers just sat around and glowered, but my ma played chess, Monopoly, volleyball, you name it; and taught me how to hit a baseball, and went on long bike rides with the rest of the family. She taught us neighborhood kids some of the games she used to play as a girl, back in what I thought was ancient times. But how little time it really was!

I always found it very hard, if not impossible, to impress her.

But on the last day of her life–and neither of us knew it was the last day, we were just talking on the phone–my mother said to me, “You can be proud of these books, Lee. I really have enjoyed them.”

That was several books ago. But she is never far from my mind as I write. Would she like this new one?

There’s no time to go into her teaching me to follow and understand current events, our sometimes heated political discussions, and so much more. I like to think I’m my own man, a unique individual. But no man is an island, entire of itself (John Donne)–

And I’m proud of my ma and her influence on me.