[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 8, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H2213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING MOTHER ON MOTHER'S DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to join with 
my colleagues in celebration of Mother's Day. I particularly want to 
celebrate my mother. Yesterday was election day in the State of Ohio; 
and my mother, and she is going to be angry when I do this, who will be 
81 years old on April 19, ran for State Central Committee, unopposed, 
won overwhelmingly.
  Mom, here is the campaign literature right here that was sent out on 
your behalf.
  I want to say that I have a wonderful mother and I am so pleased to 
have the opportunity to celebrate Mother's Day with her this coming 
weekend. She has been a guiding light and beacon in the lives of me and 
my family, not only my two sisters, one who lives in California and one 
who lives in Cleveland, but my husband's family as well.
  I want to say to Mary Elizabeth Tubbs, my mom, happy Mother's Day. I 
am counting on you to stand up on behalf of all of the 21st Senate 
District as the Democrat Central Committee woman in the State of Ohio.
  After learning all of these wonderful things from my mother, I have 
to take a moment and say I am pleased to be a mother as well. Yesterday 
my man child, Mervyn LeRoy Jones, II, 18 years old, and a senior at 
Shaker Heights High School said, ``Mom, I have a great Mother's Day 
present for you, but it will be early.''
  I said, ``What is it?''
  He said, ``I am going to take you to school.''
  I said, ``That is good. What are we going to do in school?''
  He said, ``You and I are going to recite poetry together.''
  He knew that I liked poetry a whole lot. We go to the class, which is 
poetry writing, and I have a favorite woman poet whose name is Mona 
Lake Jones. Mona Lake Jones has written a lot of culturally sensitive 
poetry, and one piece is called ``Being the Mother of a Black Child: It 
Ain't No Easy Thing.''
  So my son and I recited this piece of poetry together. It goes on to 
say being the mother of a black child, it ain't no easy thing, it makes 
you call on Jesus, and listen to the angels sing.
  Mervyn and I alternated these versus together. The topping on my 
Sunday was at the end Mervyn said to his class, I brought my mother to 
school today. And he said, ``You know, Mom, I am not going to have any 
money on Sunday, but I knew how much you liked poetry so this is your 
Mother's Day present; I recited poetry with you in poetry class.''
  Mr. Speaker, I want to celebrate and trust that other mothers around 
this country have wonderful opportunities to celebrate Mother's Day 
this weekend. Those whose mothers have passed on, or whose children 
have passed on, step back and remember some of the great memories and 
times you had together, and think about how blessed you are to have 
been a mother or a daughter or son, or to have someone who cared as 
much as mothers care for you.

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