From Molly, Chapter And Verse

Molly McLaughlin has been writing poetry for eight years.

She came up with one of her latest verses in about a half-hour.

It’s a dedication to her mother, Bev McLaughlin. Molly McLaughlin said she read a blurb in The Spokesman-Review seeking All-Star Moms nominations and had to write something. The poem accompanied her nomination.

“If there’s a contest or if she can get recognized or if I can tell her how I feel, I do it,” said Molly, 27, a starter on Mead’s 1990 state championship basketball team who’s now a math teacher at East Valley Middle School, “Because I think she deserves it.”

Bev McLaughlin, 54, is a divorced mother of three. She and Molly live together in North Spokane.

Bev has been a single parent since 1981, which made for plenty of challenges. It was hard trying to be every place at the same time, she said.

“It’s not easy,” she said of raising children alone. “I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. I taught the kids to be independent and I had very few problems. I had expectations, but not many rules until they proved they needed rules.”

Following is Molly McLaughlin’s untitled poem:

When I decided to go out for sports

my mother feared

Until she watched me shoot some hoops

then she cheered.

When I needed a ride to morning practices

my mother couldn’t wait

When I needed a ride home

she was never late.

When I needed a new pair of shoes

she found a way

Working extra hours at work

so she could pay.

When my basketball team went to state

my mother caught a ride

When I broke my wrist and couldn’t play

she comforted me when I cried.

When I was recruited to play in college

my mother was awfully proud

Seven long months and four long years

she was the brightest face in the crowd.

When my competitive years were done

my mother missed the court

I am the athlete and person I am today

because of her unconditional love and support.

Molly McLaughlin