Happy Mother's Day Flashes from the Past: His mother "...was the making of me...(because) she was always so true and sure of me..."

He recalled that his mother "...was the making of me... [because] she was always so true and so sure of me... And always made me feel I had someone to live for and must not disappoint."

He did not talk until he was almost 4 years of age, and his self-centered behavior, hyperactivity, and relentless questioning led his teacher to blurt out that he thought this man's brain's were addled. His mother was so angry, she pulled him out of school to tutor him at home. His father bribed him read some of the classics, offering him ten cents for each one he was able to complete. He would begin to voraciously read books and recite poetry, and then he discovered he enjoyed science and was clever at mechanical things.

Who was this? This was Thomas Edison, the Wizard of Menlo Park, and one of the most prolific inventors in history, inventing the cylinder phonography, the lightblub, and motion pictures.

As Mother's Day draws near, we salute all the remarkable mothers out there like Nancy Edison who believe in their children and inspire them to succeed in their own ways. Happy Mother's Day to all of you! Tomorrow we'll be traveling to Texas, but we'll be back to our regularly blogging schedule next Monday (May 14th).

Edison's Biography
Inventions of Thomas Edison
Eide Neurolearning Blog: 2006 Mother's Day Flashes from the Past: "Years later, we realized her marks were a ruse..."
Eide Neurolearning Blog: 2005 Mother's Day Flashes from the Past: One Remarkable Mother
Eide Neurolearning Blog: Flashes from the Past: A Lover of Words...(Another Who Had a Great Mom)

Technorati tags: biography, children, famous Americans, inventors, hearing-impaired, Mother's Day, Thomas Edison, homeschooling