Jane Butin

Jane Butin Northcutt Woody is my mother. She brought my brother Kirke C. Northcutt into the world in 1954, 15 months after I was born. She taught us the foundations for living lofty and mundane: Walk "in the other person's shoes" and follow the Golden Rule, "If you do that you really don't need any other rules." Behave in public. Listen to and respect older folks. Respect and take pride in ourselves. Read for learning and for joy. Think for ourselves and speak up when we have strong feelings about something. Giving in is not giving up. Never give up. Listen carefully then make our own decisions. Do our best. Play fair. Share joys, sorrow, love. Love is what really matters.

She taught us to enjoy giving gifts more than receiving them; to appreciate calypso rhythms, Negro spirituals, the Beatles, almost every type of music imaginable; to throw a baseball "like you mean it."; to start a lawn mower: "Pull don't yank."; to throw up in the bucket; to walk in thongs; catch lightning bugs; make hollyhock dolls and the best potato salad on Earth; to drive a car; keep a softball game score book; save the last sweet roll for Grandma Butin; to laugh until we gasped for air.

No woman ever made the transition from parent and authority figure to parent and true friend with greater grace than our mom.

6/17/94