goodbye TV mom

Barbara Billingsley died last weekend, October 16th.  She was 94 years old.  For baby boomer's she'll always be our T.V. mom, June Cleaver.  She was the perfect 'ideal' mom because her character was seen through the eyes of a her youngest son, Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver.  Barbara Billingsley was a class act.

This is how most of us saw our mothers growing up.  It's how I saw mine.  I guess a lot of mom's tried to live up to that image.  I know my mother wasn't watching the show, or trying to keep up with the Jone's or the Cleaver's.  She had her hands full with six kids.  She did alright though.

I remember about twenty years ago talking to a local artist about my mom.  Leo Reynolds grew up around my mother's folks.  I was video taping him for a commercial at the time when he found out that I was her son.   He said of mother, "That Esther is a real lady."  He said that at least three times while we were there at his house.  I agreed with him and I still share his opinion.  My mom is a real lady - a class act.

I'm glad we all had an ideal TV mom, better yet, I'm glad to have an ideal real life mom.   My mom, like Barbara has a funny side.  Maybe I can get my mom to learn how to speak jive.  Here's the Barbara Billingsley clip from the movie Airplane!