‘Always there for me’

Joan Neal - 79, Fayetteville

My mother has always been there for me. As a child, she showed me how to ride a bike, climb a tree, dig for worms, make mud pies, build a fort out of pine straw and lots of other fun things. When I started cheering for the Blue Devils, she was always at my games. I started playing basketball at Fayette County High School and she was always there yelling for me and my team. As I became a new mother, she stayed with me to show me the tricks of being a good mother. Now that I have moved back home, I can say, being home with my mother is a joy that every daughter should treasure.

- Kathy Neal Brown