Mary Elizabeth Atkinson Klein, born 1916, in Willmar, Minnesota, to James and Lula Atkinson, was a dedicated nurse. Her father, James, a proper Englishman, immigrated to the United States at seventeen, and her mother, Lula, was a local school teacher. The family moved to the Day County area in South Dakota when Mary was around 2.
She graduated from Bristol High School and received her nursing certificate from the Peabody School of Nursing in Webster, South Dakota in 1938. Her nursing profession led her to Eureka, South Dakota, where she met Bernhardt (Barney) Klein. In the war years of WWII, the hospital had a rule that nurses could not be married. So, Mary and Barney eloped and married in Newcastle, Wyoming, keeping it a secret. In 1947, a son, me, was born to them. In 1950, the family moved to a small farm northeast of Bristol, South Dakota, on which they lived for 17 years. In the fall of 1967, they moved into Bristol, where she and her husband served as co-administrators of the newly erected Sun Dial Manor Nursing Home.
Mary, despite seldom admitting it, had a deep love for people and found joy and energy in their company. She was a chronicler, and any conversation with her was soon spiced with stories of experiences new and old, and her unique way of adding flavor to the English language. Mary used her “hidden” gift of communication to encourage almost everyone she knew. Her Monday letters, 20 to 30 per week, Tuesday phone calls, Wednesday emails, and Saturday nursing home visits kept her bed cold and her heart warm.
One of the lessons I learned from my mother was none of us are better than any of us. The idea behind this phrase is that everyone should be treated with respect and kindness, no matter who they are or what they can do. It embodies the belief that everyone deserves respect and kindness regardless of background, status, or abilities. It puts emphasis on the importance of treating everyone with equality and compassion. It is true even for the people who are not our favorites or behave or look differently than we do. This principle encourages us to see each person's worth and be understanding and kind to others. It's a reminder that we all deserve to be treated well and that no one is better than anyone else. If we all follow this idea, we can create a society where we respect and accept each other, and our interactions are based on kindness and understanding.
That sounds fine as long as it is not DEI, which is destroying businesses, governments, and putting others lives in danger in critical positions- along with causing needless chaos, division, and possible violence among those who believe that others with higher skills, qualifications, and experience, should be rejected for those lacking those qualities- based on false ideas that never take into consideration the whole picture.