Oko Ake Wanji

Monday, May 7 to Sunday, May 13, 2012: high 91, low 25

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! From the beginning Mom has been here at Wingsprings, helping in every way imaginable to see the facilities come to fruition. These two pictures were taken June 17, 2004. Nearly 8 years ago, and just over two years after Dad died unexpectedly. This was the day we poured the stem wall footings. The walls are over 4 feet deep with three horizontal rebars equally spaced. Vertical rebars, which can be seen sticking up into the air in the photos above and below, were placed approximately every four feet. The soil is quite sandy so we were fortunate that the side walls didn’t collapse before the pour.

Though sometimes Mom says she cannot envision in 3-dimensions the next phase of construction, she always is supportive, and often surprised by the results. I wonder what she was thinking while looking across the crude stem walls after that first concrete pour. Certainly Dad must have been in her thoughts, but did she see the years of seemingly unending work that Wingsprings has become for her eldest son? The pensive gaze in the top photo suggests she did, but i like to think that her warm smile in the bottom one says that she loves her three children unconditionally. We know that we have been blessed with a wonderful mother.