16 Comments

Thank you, Tara.

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As God built the character in George Washington , he evidently separated the wheat from the chafe.

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Great to remind us of the greatness of this man. He indeed had the character and tenacity to prove him worthy of his standing as our nations most revered leader.

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The father of our country was not immune to family drama... Never knew this, I guess family issues happen no matter what the circumstances.... To add insult to injury, no Kroger, Safeway, Costco etc. to get mom her butter???? :)

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Thank you again Tara for my history lesson. I would of never known this of President Washington.

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Another wonderful nugget. In all my years I had never given much thought to President Washington's mother. Thank you for "digging out" this information and sharing it with us! Your post remain fascinating--at least to me! ❤

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This reminds me about the tough life that women, older than I, lived through. I can’t imagine how hard life was for many of our ancestors, especially when they were left as widows. I love this, Tara! ❤️

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This story makes me appreciate my mother even more!

Thank you Tara!

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Mothers and sons are always complicated. Thanks Tara!

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Enjoyed the read about Washington’s mother. Perhaps some of the hardships as a single mother in that era affected how she responded & never quite got out of that “fight or flight” mode. No excuses for her bad manners.

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I think that I know of a few people who may have had similar outward traits as those depicted here regarding Mary Ball Washington.

Very interesting that George Washington's cousin describes George's mother as frightening but very kind. Strange.

The facts that you describe about how George Washington and his mother failed to interact leaves little chance that they were close. I am sure that our first President owed much of his demeanor to his mother and they certainly looked alike. She must have had a stifling manner of discipline.

Hopefully they reconciled when they met in heaven. Thank you Tara.

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Boy do I have questions. Why did George spend much of his childhood at Mt. Vernon with Lawrence? Did his mother live there as well? If so, why wasn’t she there instead of complaining about her tiny house? What a selfish woman! Adversity can make a person stronger. That and his faith probably made him the man he became. Thank you for sharing all this knowledge.

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His mother caused him difficulties that may have contributed to the strength of character that Washington had. Problems can make a person dig deep and find the inner qualities necessary to successfully face future challenges. Washington chose to move forward instead of feeling sorry for himself. He fulfilled his destiny.

Thank you, Tara.

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Thanks, Tara. What a complex woman and a complex Mother/Son relationship. I see some similarities to Mary Todd Lincoln in this story. Once again, you've expanded my historical horizons. :-)

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What aspirations did she have for him, Betsy Tara Ross, if starting a new nation wasn't good enough? Dayum!

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