Mom – January 20, 2024

Ms. Betty Jean Woods has been my Mother-in-Law for 15 years. I wish I had lived closer to talk with her more and hear about her life because each of us has an interesting story to tell. I do know that Mom Woods, like every woman her age, did the best she could in an era that was not easy for women. Mom was born while the United States was deep into the Great Depression, there was rampant unemployment and a failing economy. We can say “Things aren’t that much better now” but they are better because women have opportunities today that were not available to them back then. During Mom’s childhood and teenage years, the youth were expected to put aside any frivolous activities for the sake of the nation’s well-being. Children often worked alongside their parents and education was secondary.

Throughout her lifetime, Mom managed to continuously learn new skills which enabled her to earn a living. These skills ranged from data management and finance to salesmanship. Mom didn’t have an academic degree, but she used her common sense to know how to keep her home running and at times running a business.

At one point Mom ended up in New Mexico and I loved hearing her talk about how she was able to provide set effects for the movie “Where Angels Go Trouble Follows”. Some of the scenes from this 1968 movie were filmed in and around the ranch in Santa Fe where she lived. The producer needed to hire people to play some of the roles, and Mom was responsible for hiring some of the characters, particularly the ones that played the role of Indians. Mom did not have the training to be a Hollywood Agent, but she was smart enough to know how to make the best of an opportunity and get the job done. Each time I watch that movie, it is always a reminder of Mom, her ingenuity, and those early years when she lived “out west”.

Mom and I had a commonality. Her initials were BJ, the same as mine. She was Betty Jean, and I was Billie Jo. Our birthdates were both on the 26th, mine in June, hers in July. Whenever I called her, Mom never failed to say, “It’s so good to hear your voice”. The last few phone calls were difficult to understand but she still managed to try and put the same emotion and love into the conversation.

My Mom passed away in 1997 so Mom Woods was a blessing to have in my life. I saw the struggles my mom went through growing up during the same time so it was so easy to understand the struggles that Mom Woods would have encountered and had to overcome. I felt a kindred spirit within her.

Mothers in Law are a special part of your family. Nurture the relationship because they are the reason why you have a spouse that you fell in love with and chose to marry. They can be a support and encourager when times are tough. Listen to them, encourage their stories, and learn from them because likely they have already traveled the same path that you are currently on. I will miss those phone calls and I wish I had one more call that I could say to her “Mom, it’s so good to hear your voice”.

Rest in peace, my sweet angel.