Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. The woman you see pictured here is Frances Mae Simmons, affectionately and lovingly known to most people as Fannie Mae or Aunt Fannie. To me, she was just “Mom”. The woman who raised me, loved me and was my biggest cheerleader for twenty six years. Sure, it hurts to write this tribute, but as the tears stream down my face, I persist. You see, even though my mother died when I was only twenty six years old (I am now fifty two), her loving personality settled nicely into my being. She is the core of who I am today. She was a person who cared so much for others needs, that she often overlooked her own. That is who she was. I did not have to look far for examples on how to raise my two children, who are now adults. The love that my mother gave me, I passed on to my children. I did whatever was in my power to make sure they were happy, healthy, children and that they were fully supported in all they aspired to do in life. My mother was a funny lady! Boy, did she like to laugh and have a good time. She once told me as a little man crossed the street, “there’s your last chance”. We laughed! My sister Lori, has my mother’s sense of humor, and always keeps the family in stitches. I miss Mom’s smile and her beautiful dimples (when I look at my sister Fai I can see them again). When my son was just a baby, Fai spotted a little dimple in his cheek. Mom had put her mark on him, and it was beautiful!
I want to thank you mom. Your twenty six years of love has sustained me. I am proud to be able say, “I am a good mother”, and mean it. You taught me everything I needed to know about being a good mother while you were here. These tears, they keep falling, but I persist in writing this tribute…because you were the ultimate mother. A mother who had so little financially, but yet you were a millionaire in the category of support, love and kindness towards me and others. When I was in high school, my typing teacher gave me an unfair grade. You see, a white girl received the same score as I did on a test, and our teacher, Ms. Calder, gave her an “A”. She gave me an “A-“. I knew it was wrong, so I did the only thing I knew to do. I told Mom. She came up to the school and met with the school administrator. Ultimately, rather than give me the “A” grade, she lowered the white girl’s grade to an “A-“. At least now, we both had the same grade. That was mom, always on the frontline for me. You didn’t mess with her “baby”. She had to come to see my psychology professor in college for the same reason, and unfair grade. My mama did not play! She once told a public school secretary, “let me speak to someone more important than you” when advocating to get my school records updated. She was the ultimate strong, supportive mother. My mother was very smooth when she advocated for me too…no cursing, no yelling…she just told the Truth. I try to follow her example when I have to stand up for what is right. Tell the truth.
My mom gave me one of the highest compliments I ever received. I was getting dressed to go out, and I asked her how I looked. She told me that it didn’t matter what I had on, because I “would look good in a burlap bag”. Say what! No one could ever tell me that I was not beautiful, my mother made it clear that I was when she made that statement. I would grow up feeling beautiful and knowing that I was beautiful, because the woman who meant the world to me said so. She created a level of self esteem that no one could mess with. It made me aware of how much we need to tell the young women of this generation how beautiful they are!
My mother was the kind of mother that we could sure use more of today. A mother who gives good love, a mother who is supportive and caring, a mother who is kind and generous, and a mother who advocates for her children. I thank the Lord for the precious gift of having Fannie Mae as my mother. Mom, thank you for loving me the way you did. I will continue spreading your love, and try to always be the best mother I can be. I owe it all to you. I love you!
The following link is to “A Song For Mama” which I dedicate to my mom.
Enjoy!
dreamin4freedom 
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