She could take  a penny and stretch it to a dollar

Sherri T.

These were the wise words of dear friend Michelle S.  She was describing how her mother Ray managed to raise her children under the most challenging circumstances. 

 While there were few pennies in that household, no one grew up deprived.  No one grew up feeling they had missed something in their lives.

 Of course, there were testy moments.  Like the many times Ray would warn the kids not to waste costly   electricity.  But she wouldn’t instruct them to turn off the lights.  

 Ray used the clever-mother rule: getting kids to do something without actually saying it.  Her version: “Do you want to make hydro rich?”

When Michelle talked about her mother stretching a penny into a dollar, it was clear that she was speaking with the greatest respect and admiration. 

I too have wondered how some mothers are able to turn molehills (of pennies) into mountains.

A true superhero in this regard was my mother-in-law Perla.  She came to this country with very little.  Leaving a home country under duress meant leaving everything behind.  The only things she could pack for the journey ahead were blankets and her precious children. 

The family worked hard for several years as they adjusted to a new country, new climate, new language, new everything. 

Despite the many challenges of a life-turned-upside-down, Perla managed with limited funds and few resources to run a household and raise seven wonderful children.  To this day, I stand in awe of her strength and resourcefulness.

How did she do it?  How did she take a few dollars and succeed in creating, on a daily basis, the most beautiful table?  She managed to transform every meal into a colorful and exotic feast – through time, love and, of course, the right spices. 

Not only she did ensure that every child was well fed.  She would always open her door to other family members who never hesitated to accept her warm hospitality.

Now almost 40 years since her passing, Perla’s beautiful table remains the subject of conversation.  We still wonder how it happened.  How was she able to stretch those pennies so very far?

Perhaps only Ray can truly answer that question.