A Mother of Sons: Poems of Love, Wisdom & Dreams

Contents Acknowledgments [ ix ] Exuberant Sons [ 1 ] Eager Sons

[ 19 ]

Earnest Sons [ 35 ] Edgy Sons

[ 53 ]

Evolving Sons [ 71 ] About the Author [ 86 ]

Rudiments of Life If I could give you a list of ways to make your life more pleasant, I would say eat mangoes, stand tall, pick apples, read books, buy flowers, smell stew, give presents, get hugs, bake cookies, write letters, pet puppies,

[ ]

climb mountains, wear sweaters, hear music, make friends, use chopsticks, go skiing, hold babies, fly kites, watch clouds, sing passionately, breathe deeply, attend church, eschew politics, acquire patience, ignore idiots,

[ ]

pray daily, cry unashamedly, smile freely, laugh lustily, be truthful, share knowledge, ask questions, take naps, plan picnics, kiss gently, say thank you, save keepsakes, celebrate often, love lots.

[ ]

The Boys Club We know who we are.

Ours is like one of those ancient, fraternal orders whose identifying rituals include elaborate hand signals and mysterious primal grunts.

In public, the cue is often a series of short, repetitive barks: “Sit down!”

“Give me that!”

“Come here!”

“NOW!” People who aren’t in the club look disdainful, annoyed,

[ ]

disgusted, or smug.

But fellow members grin— slowly at first, as they identify and empathize— then broadly, as they catch your eye and nod slightly to acknowledge well-known phrases and familiar responses.

“Boys are somethin’, aren’t they?”

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inspiration/poetry

“Jayne Jaudon Ferrer is the Shel Silverstein for mothers!”

— Catherine Ritch Guess, author of the Eagle’s Wings Trilogy and In the Bleak Midwinter jayne jaudon ferrer

is a happily married mother of three, a writer, and a speaker. She and her family make their home in Green­ ville, South Carolina. You can learn more about Jayne by visiting her Web site at www.jaynejaudonferrer.com.

“Mom, I love you sixty-seven fifty. Is that a lot?”

—Jaron, age four

A Mother of Sons

— Jenny Sanford, mother of Marshall (11), Landon (10), Bolton (7), and Blake (5) first lady of South Carolina

Fe r r e r

“Jayne has captured the boundless, frenetic energy as well as the simple, intimate joys that go along with being the mother of sons.”

$12.95

Celebrate the joys, challenges, and blessings of motherhood in Jayne Jaudon Ferrer’s

poems of love, wisdom & dreams

A

Mother of Sons

Cover illustration: Clifford Alejandro Cover design by Megan Duffy Rostan

J a y n e J a u d o n Fe r r e r

A

Mother of Sons

her popular collection of unforgettable poems, now available in this special gift edition.

Every mother of sons will find comfort, inspiration, and wisdom in Jayne Jaudon Ferrer’s heartfelt expressions of the fasci­ nating and often frustrating relationship between a mother and the boys she trea­ sures.

Inspired by the author’s deep faith and informed by a gentle, playful wisdom, these evocative poems will speak to the heart of every woman who has a son.