I am a few days early with this, but it is by design. First is to remind the fella’s that Sunday is Mother’s day. Another is so that this song and it’s words have time to circulate the readers of this blog. While this is an oldie, it is probably one of the greatest expressions of heartfelt thank you’s to our mom’s. When I was growing up, we had this song on a 45 (remember those?) and I used to listen to it on our record player (aging myself here). Little did I know how true it would be later in life. It’s true for my mom and it is now true for my wife. This is a song called “I.O.U” by Jimmy Dean (yes, the sausage guy). Feel free to pass this on as you wish. Happy mothers day to my mom, my wife, my sister and the readers of this blog.

I.O.U by Jimmy Dean

Most people look through their wallet or their pocket books and, way down at the bottom, past the credit cards and baby pictures and green stamps, you usually find a little ‘ol piece of dog-eared poetry.
I was cleaning out my wallet the other day and ran across a whole bunch of I.O.U’s, some of ‘em thirty-five years overdue. The funny thing, all these I.O.U’s are owed to one person and I kinda felt like that maybe now would be a pretty good time for an accountin’.

Mom, you listenin’?

Mom, I.O.U. for so many things…..
A lot of services, like nightwatchman for instance….. Lyin’ awake nights, listenin’ for coughs and cries and creakin’
floorboards….., and me comin’ in too late. You had the eye of an eagle and the roar of a lion, But you always had a heart as big as a house.

I.O.U. for services like, uh, short order cook, chef, baker…..
For makin’ sirloin out o’ hamburger an’ turkey out o’ tuna fish,
And two big ol’ strappin’ boys out of leftovers.

I.O.U. for cleanin’ services,
The daily scrubbing of face and ears….all work done by hand.
And for the frequent dustin’ of a small boy’s pants To try to make sure that you led a spotless life. And for washin’ and ironin’ that no laundry could ever do. For dryin’ the tears of childhood and ironin’ out the problems of growin’ up.

I.O.U. for services as a bodyguard,
For protectin’ me from the terrors of thunderstorms and nightmares
Hah, And too many green apples.

And Lord knows, I.O.U. for medical attention,
For nursing me through measles, mumps, bruises, Bumps, splinters and spring fever.
Oh-oh, let’s not forget medical advice….important things like,
‘If you keep on scratching that, it’ll never get well’ or ‘If you cross your eyes, they’re gonna stick like that’.
And probably the most important advice of all, ’Be sure you got on clean underwear boy, in case you’re in an accident’.

And I.O.U. for veterinarian services,
For feeding every lost dog that I dragged home at the end of the rope,
And for healing the pains of puppy love.

And I.O.U. for entertainment…..
Entertainment that kept the household goin’ through some pretty tough times…..
And for wonderful productions at Christmas, the Fourth of July, Birthdays…..
And for making make-believe come true…..
on a very limited budget.

I.O.U. for construction work, for building kites and confidence, hopes and dreams an’….. Somehow you made them all touch the sky…..
And for cementin’ together a family
So it would stand the worst kind of shocks and blows…..
And for layin’ down a good strong foundation to build a life on.

I.O.U. for carrier charges…..
For carryin’ me on your books for the necessities of life That a growin’ boy somehow, well, they just gotta have. Things like, hah-hah, a pair of high top boots, With a little pocket on the side for a jack-knife.

And one thing, Mom, I’ll will never ever forget….
When there were two pieces of apple pie left and three hungry people….. You were the one who always decided, you never really liked apple pie in the first place.

These are just a few of the things for which payment is long overdue..
The person that I owe ‘em to worked very, very cheap….
She managed by simply doin’ without a whole lot o’ things that she needed herself….
My I.O.U’s add up to more than I could ever hope to repay,
But you know the nicest thing about it all….
That I know, that she had marked the entire bill ‘Paid In Full’
For just one kiss and four little words….

Mom, I Love You!

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