I finished The Color of Water last night. A last, beautiful description of McBride’s mother follows:
“She’s always been slightly out of control, my mother, always had the unnerving habit of taking the ship into the cockpit screaming, “Someone do something, we’re gonna crash!” then at the last dying second slipping into the pilot’s seat and coolly landing the thing herself, only to forget the entire incident instantly….Her survival instincts are incredible, her dances with fire always fun to watch.” (P.271, 10th Anniversary Edition)
McBride has a depth of love and admiration for his mother that comes out beautifully in these pages, as you can see. I highly recommend reading this book about an incredible woman with vision for her family, determination, passion (obviously, she had 12 kids!), and most of all, love through unspeakable trials. I love reading about people better than myself. I always hope some of the virtue rubs off on me for having read about that person, especially another working mother who put others ahead of herself and stood tall in the face of society. The true tests of life are the ones Mr. McBride’s mother endured and yet she is still humble. She was incredibly blessed with health and strength but many, many people would have given up in the face of this kind of tragedy (losing a husband when she had 7 children with no extended family, only to be on her own for awhile, have 5 more, and then lose that husband to death and get all twelve through college). May anyone reading be stronger and better in the end by this hopeful, true story.