These are a few things my Mom would routinely say to her family when we were growing up. We say them to each other now. It keeps her with us.

“Why do you always find my bad toe to step on?”

To grandsons Keith and Asa who were always stepping on her toes when they were kids.

“I used to change your diapers!”

To Perry Jr. trying to boss her.

“It beats old none all to pieces!”

On any small gain or accomplishment, you might not appreciate.

“God Still sits on the Throne”

When something terrible happened that you felt you and the world could never recover from. She said her mother would say this to her.

I remember her saying this to me when I was so upset about Ronald Regan being elected president. Who could even imagine that someone like Trump was waiting in the future!?

“Just whisper into my pink shell-like ear”

This was a line from a play, delivered by my mother when she was a child. She never forgot it.  It was not until she was an adult that realized how funny it was coming from a little Black girl in an all Black school in Mound Bayou.

“When Momma say hit the road, what Momma mean?”

PC and Beth were at the train station with Mommie. A man came over to harass her girls. Ma was not having it! The man’s response to her query? “HIT THE ROAD”.  Man gone.

“I’d rather eat sugar with the birds”

Ma would say this when she absolutely would not do something, like taking the dog to the vet. I never understood it. Do birds eat sugar?

“I have asbestos hands”

Ma would pick up hot things without a potholder. She said she had asbestos hands (asbestos is a heat resistant fiber). Don’t try this at home!

“Have a Banner Day!”

This was not just for elementary school age kids. PC remembers Ma saying this to her when she was in grad school.

As sure as Oak and Ash grow”

In other words-I guarantee it. You can count on it (and not in a good way). As in-I have already asked you to clean up once, as sure as Oak and Ash grow….

Now someone has to help we with this one. Were Oak and Ash trees growing in Mound Bayou?

“Once ain’t always, twice ain’t forever”

Ma would say this to let you know that if something bad happened to you, even more than once, you would still be OK”