I.O.U. ~ by Jimmy Dean ~    "You know most people look through their wallets or their pocket books and way down at the bottom, past their credit cards and the baby pictures and green stamps, you can usually find a little ole dog-eared piece of poetry of some kind ...   "I was cleanin' out my wallet the other day and I ran across a whole bunch of IOU's some of 'em 30 years overdue.  And the funny thing is that all these IOU's are owed to one person, and I just kinda thought that maybe now might be a pretty good time for an accounting ...    "Mom?  You listenin'?"   "Mom, I owe you for so many things, a lot of different services, like Night Watchman for instance, for lyin' awake nights listenin' for coughs, cries and creakin' floorboards, and me comin' in too late.    Oh, you had the eye of an eagle, the roar of a lion, but ya always had a heart as big as a house.   "I owe you for services as a short order cook, chef, baker, for makin' sirloin outta hamburger, turkey outta tuna fish and big old strappin' boys outta leftovers ...   "I owe you for cleanin' services, for the daily scrubbin' of face and ears, all work done by hand, and for the frequent dustin' of a small boy's pants to try to make sure that he led a spotless life, and for washin' and ironin' that no laundry could ever do, for dryin' the tears of childhood, and for ironin' out the problems of growin' up ...   "I owe you for services as a bodyguard, for protectin' me from the terrors of thunderstorms and nightmares, and too many green apples ...   "And Lord knows I owe you for medical attention, for nursin' me through measles, mumps, bruises, bumps, splinters and spring fever.  And let's not forget medical advice either. Oh no, important things like "if you don't quit scratchin' that it ain't never gonna' get well," and "if ya cross your eyes like that they're gonna stick like that" and probably the most important was, "boy, you be sure you've got on clean underwear in case you're in an accident."   "And I owe you for veterinarian services, for feedin' every lost dog that I dragged home at the end of a rope, for healin' the pains of puppy love ...   "And I owe you for entertainment, entertainment that kept the household goin' through some pretty tough times, for wonderful productions at Christmas, 4th of July, birthdays, and for somehow makin' ''make believe" come true on a very limited budget ...   "I own you for construction work, for buildin' kites, and confidence, and hopes and dreams and somehow ya made 'em all touch the sky, and for cementin' together a family, so that it could stand the worst kinds of shocks and blows, and for layin' down that good strong foundation to build a life on ....   "I owe you for carryin' charges, for carryin' me on your books for the necessities of life things that a growin' boy just gotta' have.  Things like a pair of high top boots with a little pocket on the side for a jack knife ...   "And one thing, Mom, I will never ever forget when there were only two pieces of apple pie and three hungry people, I noticed that you were always the one that suddenly decided that you really weren't hungry any how ...   "These are just a few of the things for which payment is long overdue. The person I owe 'em to worked very, very cheap.  She managed simply by doin' without a whole lotta things that she needed herself ...   "My IOU's add up to much more than I could ever ever hope to repay.  But you know the nicest thing about it all is that I know that she'll mark the whole bill "paid in full" for just one kiss, and four little words ...   "Ma, I love you."