The only time I ever heard my first and middle named together was when I did something wrong. My mother would never see me walking into the room the first thing in the morning and say, “Good morning Carmen Theresa.” Nope, when I was in trouble I’d hear her call, “Get in here right now, Carmen Theresa!”
But my mom always called her best friend Betty Mae. And Betty Mae always called my mom Barbara Jean. I don’t remember anyone else calling my mom by her first and middle name. Maybe my dad did.
Betty Mae Glenn and Barbara Jean Leal were best friends for probably as long as I have been alive. Between them they had 14 kids and we were all in and out of both houses. Betty Mae was tall and glamorous and Barbara Jean was short. I have so many adjectives to describe my mom. Both women were community minded, they were those moms who would be there for any kid and treat them all the same as they did their own.
Yesterday Gary and I drove to meet Gay Glenn for lunch. She’s directing a show about three hours away and it was wonderful to spend time with her sharing stories from the past, seeing the wonderful video she created for her mom’s service when she passed away in October, and to trade stories about what we’ve been doing in the years since we last saw each other.
Terry L Glenn asked to be a Facebook friend last year and I am so glad he did! Both Gay and Terry are younger than me, but it’s nice having people who knew my family and share some of my life experiences.
My mom and Betty Mae loved each other till the end. It makes me happy to think of them up in heaven laughing and talking. So much talking between the two of them. Mama might have had an edge, but not by much.
Here’s a picture of Gay and Gary and me that our server took yesterday. We were at Famous Dave’s and it’s interesting that there’s a Sunbeam sign there because we had a Sunbeam bakery in Topeka and I remember the smell of baking bread from all those years ago.
I’m glad we had yesterday and that we are friends on Facebook. Hopefully we’ll connect again in person.