Solara Speaks

All the King’s Women
A tribute to the women in my life
and to Walker, Texas Ranger

By Solara Key

This is not a story about sadness–it is a story about courage, strength, love, and the women in my life. When I was little, my mom would read “The Gift of the Magi” to me all year long. It was, and still is, my favorite story. It is about love and giving. Little did I know, it is a story about my family.

No, the author did not write it about my family exactly, but it resembled them. I love December for alot of reason besides Christmas. I love the spirit of December, and my mom standing at the front room window screaming that Santa and his reindeers just landed on our neighbors roof! I think it’s funny when my dad says he wants to be Santa when he grows up (if that will ever happen.) We will unpack the dolls, gingerbread house and snowmen that mom made and decorate the fireplace. We will get her nativity collection out and set it around the house. My dad and I will put up the Christmas tree. After the work is all done, all of us will gather around the television to watch “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

We then let Heidi, our Boston Terrier open up one of her gifts under the tree. I love the fact that I celebrate my birthday on December 11. That is the day my grandmother, Mama Todd, passed away. That was one of her favorite dates because it is when I was born. Her other favorite date was June 8, my brother’s birthday. She was a beautiful, soft-spoken southern belle. Mama Todd’s parents both passed away when she was 7, leaving her and her siblings to be taken in by a very strict grandmother. I don’t think they ever missed a church service and gave thanks everyday to God, or “The King.”

Mama Todd was married to my grandfather, Papa, for 60 years. In 1951, they moved from Nashville, Tennessee, to Wayne, Michigan in search of a more prosperous life. That was the year my mom was run over by a car. Years later, they bought a restaurant in Garden City, Michigan and called it Todd’s Fine Foods. It was a southern restaurant, specializing in country ham, biscuits, and down-home cooking. It was home to policemen, city workers, widows and widowers, senior citizens, and many southerners who had been transplanted to the north and was in search of southern food. It was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I have the feeling people just liked the southern hospitality and came in to talk, but still, mom said there would be a line waiting to get in for their ham and biscuits.

A couple of years after buying the restaurant, Papa had a brain aneurysm, and was not expected to live through the night. He did live through the night; however, it left him paralyzed on the right side. Now Mama Todd would not hear of putting him in a nursing home, so after a stay in a rehabilitation center, he came home. Mama Todd and my mom would work 2 and sometimes 3 shifts, taking care of Papa in between times.

During this time, my mom lost her second born son. It wasn’t but a few years later till the Volkswagen she was riding in was hit by a drunk driver, leaving her challenged to walk. After retiring, Mama Todd, Papa, Mom and Todd, (my brother,) came back to Tennessee. That is when Mama Todd first got to watch television, and discovered Walker, Texas Ranger.

Now she loved Papa, Clark Gable, (whoever that is) and Walker, Texas Ranger. She didn’t even know his name is Chuck Norris, and refused to call him anything but Walker, Texas Ranger. When the theme song to Walker, Texas Ranger came on, she would swoon, saying, “he wouldn’t kiss me but one time, because I would fall over dead!” And, when Walker, Texas Ranger’s television girlfriend was shown, Mama Todd would get so angry at her, saying, “honey you better marry him before someone else gets him.” Heaven help anyone who messed with Walker, Texas Ranger, because she would get her hackles up and shout, “oh, you silly thing, leave him alone!” When the church gave an annual senior citizen steak dinner on the night of, you guessed it, Walker, Texas Ranger, she stood her ground and told the preacher, “I guess you know you’re having this ole dinner on the night Walker, Texas Ranger is on.” Mama Todd took care of Papa for almost 25 years, but due to her failing health, my mom took Papa to a nursing home. Eventually, he went to a very wonderful veterans home, and had his own agenda. His days were filled with movies, a trip to the local Wal-Mart, crafts, etc. It was wonderful. I would love to go there and visit all the men who had served their country in the war. There was even a man from World War I.

Other than Clark Gable and Walker, Texas Ranger, Mama Todd never looked at another man in all of their 60 years of marriage; half of them being with an invalid husband. Now Mama Todd’s sisters have had equally challenging lives. They, too, never miss church. Their faith in “The King” got them through some very tough times. I admire the strength of Mama Todd, Mom, Aunt Opal and Aunt Mettie. Whenever I would listen to Mama Todd and mom talk about the restaurant years, it was always some funny story about the happenings there, never bitterness about having to be there. And, when all the women in my life get together, they laugh about the days that most people would consider harsh.

My mom always called me “a miracle.” I was born after she had cervical cancer. I never heard her complain. Now this is not all that the King’s women in my life have gone through, but this is enough to tell in one story. I don’t know if the love of martial arts in me goes back to some sort of subliminal Walker, Texas Ranger message, but I have been raised in a family of some of the strongest women “The King” ever put on earth. They instilled in me the courage to try karate, the strength to keep doing it, the discipline it takes, and the ability to find something to laugh at myself about. I don’t complain about anything in my life.

I can hear Mama Todd whispering in my ear... “practice your karate real hard, and one day maybe you will meet Walker, Texas Ranger.” To all The King’s Women....thank you. Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that are not wrapped and under the tree. And, to Walker, Texas Ranger, if you read this story, know that there is an angel looking over your shoulder. We can’t have too many of those on our side! To those of you who will be celebrating the holidays without a special person in your life, remember “the gifts” that are not wrapped and under the tree that they left for you. Try to turn tragedy into triumph for them.

I wish you a happy heart this holiday season. Merry Christmas Ya’ll....don’t forget to tell your family you love them. Have a great NEW YEAR!! For a great New Year's resolution: I WILL ALWAYS SAY NO TO DRUGS!! Don’t sit on that couch watching T.V. this year during school break. Get on the World Black Belt web site, go the Junior World Black Belt section on the menu. Check out the Discussion Forum we juniors have. I’d love to talk to you, or you can e-mail me at: solarakey@worldblackbelt.com

This has been a Youth E-Zine Article.