This Friday night seemed just like any other with Mom and I lounging on the sofa watching the Grand Ole Opry. I could feel the joy that the Opry brought to my mom just by the look in her eyes as she watched, listened, and sometimes sang. Well she hummed more than she sang but that was my mom's way of singing. As we watched her eyes would glow. Sometimes I would see a sparkle. As I watched her I knew what I had to do. I hugged my mom and said "Mother, when I'm all grown up I'm going to take you there". Mom hugged me in return and said, "I'm sure that you will".
As I started dinner, I turned the radio on and to my surprise the station was doing a special on The Grand Ole Opry. This brought my childhood memories roaring back. The Grand Ole Opry played on the radio in the kitchen every evening as Mom cooked dinner.
English: Country star Dolly Parton sings on stage ...
Porter Wagoner singing at the Grand Ole Opry in Na...
Ryman Auditorium, where The Byrds made their appea...She would hum and I would ask her to dance (as I had seen my father do). She would accept, especially if it were a slow song. Mom said that when it came to fast dancing she was afraid that she would break something and that with nine children she needed every thing she had to keep up with us. We would dance and at the end I would bow and say "thank you madam", she would courtesy and off I would go. Then I remembered the promise that I had made to her so many years before. I had a plan.
The following morning at work I put in for a week of vacation. Next came the wait for the approval. One day turned into the next, the next into the following. I...