Friday the boys and I attended a retirement party honoring my mother, Carolyn Boyington.

Since I was 6-years old Mom has worked in the cafeteria at Elsanor Elementary, but after 25 years, she decided to hang up her apron. The party was great. The ladies at the school really put a lot of thought into honoring Mom. They had prepared a slide show of days gone by, and I know it must have brought a tear or two to Mom's eyes.

Co-workers spoke of Mom's dedication and preciseness when dealing with the children and sending in paperwork. But, the thing that comes to my mind is how much I appreciated Mom for working in a job where she could be home with the four of us kids during the summer and in the afternoons. It was like "Bring Your Child to Work Day" everyday – and I loved it.

Growing up in Elsanor, I had the privilege to attend school at Elsanor Elementary. Mom started work there in 1983 when I was in first grade. If I ever needed anything, she was just a few doors away. It was great. I never had to feel scared about going to school, because she was always there. I rarely remember a day when she took off work.

Since Mom worked in the cafeteria I never got to bring my lunch to school, but it was okay because the food we ate at school was just like the food we ate at home – tasty and good.

I'm so glad this was the career path Mom chose to take. I know it wasn't an easy job, and anyone who thinks so should spend the day with those ladies. Sometimes I think they could outwork and out-lift any man!

I know Dad will be glad to have Mom at home – for a while anyway. He probably thinks she's going to cook lunch for him everyday, but I'm pretty sure he is wrong. After 25 years of planning and preparing meals for 300 plus children everyday, he'll be lucky if she makes him a sandwich for lunch.

Happy Retirement Mom! May the days ahead be filled with rest, relaxation and grandchildren!

Eva Faircloth is a former newspaper editor who resides in Loxley with her husband, Lee, and two sons, Gavin and Ethan. She can be reached at eva@cyrisoft.com.