So, I contacted Kathy Pruitt and asked if she would allow me to post the eulogy that she gave at Mom's service. She graciously agreed.
For those that were not able to attend the service, Kathy did a wonderful job and captured Mom perfectly.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Norma Ruth Smith
Norma once told me how she got her name. Her mom was expecting her first child and in those days, no one knew ahead what the baby would be. Trix was in the park and saw a beautiful little girl on a swing. After watching from a distance and dreaming about her own child, Trix saw the mother help the little girl down from the swing and say, “Come on, Norma Ruth. It’s time to go home.” Trix thought if she had a girl, she’d name her that lovely name, and so she did just that.
Now Norma did not always seem too impressed with her own name, but she accepted it just like she did everything in her life and made the most of it. “I’m just plain old Norma Smith. I’m just Norma normal,” she’d often remark.
Knowing Norma for almost 40 years as a neighbor, friend, and fellow teacher, I think I am qualified to say her definition is both accurate and inaccurate, depending on exactly what she meant.
If Norma meant “stable,” then, yes, I agree. Norma led a very stable life. She grew up in a small town with a mom, dad, brother, and sister...the Richardsons. I was always a bit jealous of Norma’s great family who seemed to love each other so unconditionally. Norma was an honor high school student and played a crackerjack game of basketball (I saw the pictures). She graduated from Texas Tech and started teaching. She married the man she loved and STAYED married to him. She raised two fine, bright sons. She loved being both a grandmother to her three grand kids and an aunt to her nieces and nephews. I can still see her in my mind’s eye, sunbathing in her backyard pool and reading her favorite white Harlequin romance novels as she floated. She paid all her bills on time and incurred no debt. She was a frugal shopper (I’m being nice in my choice of words here!). After being a master teacher for almost 25 years, she went to work as an educational consultant at Region XI Service Center and forged new friendships there. Overall, Norma seemed exceedingly content with her life.
If by being “normal” Norma meant “ordinary,” then that is where I beg to differ with her. She wore a black, form-fitting strapless dress to her prom. Wow! She was my heroine. Also, she rode in the fastest car in Lubbock County and married the driver of that car. She got her own motorcycle and often road behind James on his as they traveled through the southwest mountains and plains. Norma was brave.
She tended her beloved rose garden and often shared flowers with neighbors and friends. On one of several “girl” road trips, Norma became the lead singer of 50’s rock and roll, as well as Motown, songs. She knew every single word of every single song, so the rest of us in the car gladly became her backup singers since, at best, we only knew the choruses. She had a clear sweet voice I can still hear.
During the many years we lived next to each other on Mimosa Park, Norma and I walked 3-5 days a week for almost five years. We chose either the high, sunny road or the low, shady one, depending on the fickle Texas weather. Once we realized we were lost and almost one and one half miles from our homes. We didn’t feel lost because we’d been too busy repainting/redecorating the homes we passed so often. We’d been too busy discussing the funny and poignant events in the lives of our students, fellow teachers, administrators and, of course, our own families. We were “together,” the operative word, processing our lives as we walked, talked, rejoiced and grieved. I was never lost when I had Norma by my side. She was my stabilizer.
You have probably been remembering your own experiences with Norma, as I have shared mine. If we took all the stories in this room alone, we’d be able to weave a tapestry of a life well-lived, for it’s in the small stories that we see the big picture. That tapestry would be strong, beautiful, functional, and resilient, just like its inspiration.
I think I can say for many of us that we will never look at a computer monitor again or place our hands on the home keys, without thanking Norma Smith for helping us overcome “tech” fear.
So, I ask you again, “What’s in a name?”
Answer: An extraordinary woman who loved well and was well-loved.
“COME ON, NORMA RUTH, IT’S TIME TO GO HOME.”
Kathy A. Pruitt
And so with that, I think it's time to close up this blog. I know Mom was pleased with my use of this technology to keep everyone up to date and there is a certain amount of therapeutic value in writing that I am glad that I experienced.
Thank you to everyone, everywhere, that followed her story.
Mike Smith
Keller, Texas
