My mother trucker is the most beautiful because of the amazing story behind the woman. Her love for trucking started in her early teens while running away from home to California to become a movie star. Her dreams have always been pretty large. During that time she was picked up by a trucker and instantly fell in love with the truck. At that moment she discovered her life’s purpose. The next few years of her life were spent being dragged back home to Mason County in Washington State and running away to hit the road in the 18-wheelers she had come to love. She experienced many of the hardships you might imagine would befall a young woman hitchhiking across the United States but nothing could stop her from chasing her dreams. She has an indomitable, never-give-up spirit. A truly dynamic individual. The first time Mom took the wheel she was 16. She was being shown the ropes by a fella that would later become her first husband. The truck was an old cab-over Kenworth hauling a flatbed. When she speaks about this experience in particular the living essence of the euphoria is still inside her. She never let her dreams die and never forgot who she is. For a few years after, she continued her excursions along the highways and byways of America before taking a hiatus in southern California. During that time, she adapted to a rather wild lifestyle (Mother has always been rather wild, though). She had a blossoming nightlife hitting the party scene and generally having a crazy time. She also owned a cab company for a time before she became pregnant with her first child, Rosemary. Her life changed drastically. The nightlife and a partying came to a close as she awaited the birth of her daughter. Tragically, Rosemary was born with water on her brain and died due to complications arising from her birth defects. Mom didn’t take it well. She started partying pretty heavy for many years to come. After coming to terms with her grief some years later and reestablishing herself, she became pregnant again with the first (me) of three healthy babies. She had us one right after the other. We are each about a year apart. As part of straightening out her life she went back and got her high school diploma and went to college. She had aspirations of becoming an English teacher. She learned shortly thereafter that the F-word wasn’t commonly accepted among literary circles (it’s one of her favorite words) and decided that might not be the direction for her. It was time once again for her to hit the road. I was 3 years old when mother brought that big old cab-over International up the driveway. It was the first 18-wheeler I had ever laid eyes on. She packed the three of us into that old truck and went to work. She worked the Seattle-Tacoma ports bringing in goods from all over Washington to be exported out to the world by ship. The woman did this for quite a few years before deciding to go over the road, taking up an interstate job. The pressures and influence of the road eventually led mother back to a drugging lifestyle. Those years were some of the hardest years of our lives as a family. As the years rolled on in this state, it left us all in a pretty bad way. Bills weren’t paid, the card was gone and we were on our way to being homeless. Once faced with the destitute nature of our family, she decided that it was time for a dramatic change in her way of life. Mom got sober and has been for 16 years. During those 16 years, mom has amassed a humble empire. She bought her first truck, a pink 379 Peterbilt named Margaret in Oct 1999. It was one of the happiest days of her life. She still drives Margaret to this day and will always have her I’m sure. She has a modest home on a little hill in the Yakima Valley where she provides a warm atmosphere for family and friends. She is well respected in the community and is revered as one of the hardest working people in the industry to the people that she works with and those who know her best. She is absolutely dedicated to excellence in everything she does. She is a pillar of strength and compassion for those in her life and gives of herself endlessly. She actively donates to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the donations ensure that no child’s family is ever billed for services received from St. Jude Hospital. They also provide funding for research into curing brain tumors and all childhood cancers. She also donates to Kids Wish Network; this charity fulfills the wishes of terminally ill children in America. In addition she donates to the AmVets charity. The AmVets provides housing benefits, food and medical supplies to veterans in the State of Washington. I truly believe that my mom is the most beautiful woman in trucking. I also believe that she stands out as one of the most amazing, dynamic and wonderful people I’ve ever met. It is a blessing to have such an awesome mom =)
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