For those who are unaware, today is my birth date, as I was born on Tuesday December 23, 1952. While contemplating how best to Blog this day, I concluded that there was no better way than to devote it to my late Mother (shown here, and done today instead of on the traditional Mother’s
Day and that would not have surprised her in the least about the third of her THREE (3) ONLY surviving children, (this hobby Blogger) as documented in the post SUMMARY OF HIDDEN DANGERS/UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND OTHER ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING "VIRTUAL" IDENTITIES - UPDATED. The purpose of this Post is to take a snapshot of a few moments in time to show how her decisions either influenced or altered my life in one way or another.
She was born Ina Elise Sobers on September 13, 1913, into a male dominated family of half brothers as documented in the post THE TRUTH VERSUS FABRICATION ABOUT MY LATE MOTHERS LIFE, FOR THE RECORD - UPDATED. My late Mother was the only girl growing up as her older sister, with whom she shared full heritage, Ivy (the oldest of her Mother's offspring was on her own); therefore it was my late Mother and her four (4) half brothers (Chris, Edgar, Hillary & Oliver), who grew up together, and her heritage INCLUDED ZERO ASIAN ANCESTRAL CONNECTIONS as previously referenced in the post THE TRUTH VERSUS FABRICATION ABOUT MY LATE MOTHERS LIFE, FOR THE RECORD - UPDATED. She married late in life as she awaited my father’s return who had promised to marry her on his return from abroad, “seeking his fortune” (so to speak). My father (the late James Francis Brazant) too was unique in his own way, because he kept his promised word after traveling to the US & Panama sometimes working in various labor encampments. As I would hear from one individual who had traveled with him who would always inform me at every opportunity how my Dad would remain in the camp when all the others would be out on week-ends having a “good” time (including the individual who informed me at every chance); my Father would remain and read he stated (because he was saving his money for a specific purpose). While my Dad never talked a great deal about the encampments, he spoke often of his work at Botany 500. On returning home to Barbados, he married my Mother as promised, bought our family residence and opened the family grocery store on a portion of the lower level. My mother operated the store, later with my evening, weekday and weekend assistance. All three (3) of their living children were born at that Chapel Street, St. Peter, Barbados residence. The oldest child, a girl, was a stillbirth, (probably due to her over-exertion during the early years of establishing the store). Maybe this is what led my Dad & Mom to ensure that she had the able assistance of a “nanny”, Rose who was around for as long as I can remember, being the youngest and assisted with everything such that she was like a member of the family.
Once the store was established my Dad wanted to expand the store at its location next to the Methodist church & build a new family residence elsewhere and turn the entire location into a supermarket. Knowing my mother, he even took the initiative and purchased the lot as an inducement, but she adamantly refused to move & he later had to sell that lot but bought another where she cultivated her garden that she kept busy at long after the store closed. If it could be planted, my mother grew it. That decision by my Mother not to relocate probably set the course for my life’s decisions, because had he expanded as he wanted, I do not believe that I would have left later to pursue my educational advancement. I believe that I would have ended up operating it instead of closing it later due to disinterest by anyone as we were all working. Later, however, my brother would become a full-time student to pursue his undergraduate studies in the sciences at Cave Hill in Barbados & I would follow-suit years later (in the US).
My Mother’s reasoning for not relocating (bless her heart) was that in a supermarket arrangement, she would loose control of the day-to-day management, (while my Father carried out the behind the scenes activities needed to maintain operations & she was not counting on his assistance); He would pass away in 1971. The other event that comes to mind about my late Mother (who herself passed away on September 29, 1991, approximately 3 months after relocating to Iowa); was an incident, which she thought defined me as an individual but, which she kept and shared years after its occurrence. The occasion was the first visit of a Jumbo Jet to the then Seawell International airport on the island (circa 1975). As a Customs Officer I was stationed at the Airport on shift duty and one Sunday on my day off I decided to take my mother and a friend of hers, Sylvia Yearwood to see the plane. We lived on the northwest side of the island, St. Peter and the airport is on the southeast side and while traveling with other vehicles routinely overtaking us in a dash to see the plane, she finally said, Fran, look everyone is passing us by, I replied, “let them go, we will get there”. My Mother & her friend thought that was such a character defining moment that she would repeat it years later & I would never forget it.
This brief snapshot is intended to show how defining moments help shape our characters (especially if you have chosen to live your own life and not the “virtual” life of another). My mother’s decisions did alter and/or define the person I am today and that is my tribute to her, may she rest in peace.
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