A Mother's Love 💕

 In a previous blog I mentioned about my brother Troy the wayward boy. Well in January of 1996 Troy applied for a trucking job in Clifton, TN. Troy got hired on the spot. The boss trusted Troy and let Troy stay with him. The guy could sense that Troy had a good upbringing. Troy would deliver packages and he would get paid for the mileage he drove while doing this particular job.

After about 2 weeks, the boss trusted Troy to watch the business and the money. What the boss didn't know is that Troy doing good lasted for 2 weeks, Troy had a criminal record that go back in the early 80's, and "played out" with family when Troy ripped family off. Troy stole the money and stole the boss's truck 🚛 and drove the truck into a ditch.

Troy didn't get sent back like Troy did when Troy ripped off family like normal. The boss called the cops. Troy was handcuffed but not without resisting arrest and cussing at the cops. Troy was taken to Clifton correctional where Troy resisted arrest there too and they recommended that Troy be sent to boot camp in Clifton. Troy would have 4 long months in boot camp. Troy messed up big and it was in the wrong state to mess up in.

Troy wrote mom from boot camp in Clifton. Mom wrote Troy back. After months had gone by Troy could remember all that mom had done for him and all of us 7 boys that came out of our mom's womb. After the 4 months of Troy having to get up at 4 AM doing push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, squats, jogging, etc., mom could see what Troy had been through. Troy even sent mom a pic of him and the drill Sargent from boot camp. Once Troy had completed boot camp, he was sent back to Clifton correctional.

Meanwhile, the Clifton correctional police officer called my mom and said, "Ms. Grady we have your son Troy here in jail. The only way we will let Troy out of jail is if Troy stay with you or Troy will get life in jail!" Mom pleaded, "Troy can stay with me, please don't give him life." Mom called her other son Marcus in Los Angeles, CA and told Marcus that Troy is coming home from boot camp in Clifton, TN May of 1996. Marcus responded, "Ma, how could you let that boy stay with you after all the trouble he has caused you?" Mom answered, "The police officer said the only way that they would let Troy out of jail is if I let him stay with me or they would give Troy life in jail." Marcus remember the times how Troy used to runaway from home, how he ripped mom and Marcus off, and how Troy cussed mom out in a letter ✉️ so bad that mom had to tear  up the letter and put in the garbage. 🗑️ 

Marcus had given a profound reply, "It is only a Mother's Love 💕 that would allow that boy to stay up there with you." Marcus is 💯 correct! No matter what things we say or do mom will always do all she can to try to help even when she have to show us "Tough Love." Mom thought that what Troy endured at boot camp and in Clifton correctional was enough punishment. Mom had sent one more letter to Troy in boot camp in Clifton before Troy was sent back to Hartford on a plane. The letter was sent back and said "returned back home" on it. Well, I thought I would share this story. To all of the mom's single, married, divorced, and widowed out there Happy Mother's Day!