Each and every time I am at a formal dinner

And I am completely at ease

Knowing how to conduct myself properly

What to wear at which hour of the day

Which fork to use to eat the salad, seafood and entree

And with what spoon to eat the frappe

I think of Mary Dean

Every time I am engaged in any social gathering

I think of Mary Dean

Every time I watch my daughter

And am impressed with the way she knows just the right thing to say

To turn her coffee cup over if she doesn’t want coffee

And to leave her napkin in her chair

When she goes to powder her nose

I think of Mary Dean

Mary Dean was the most elegant woman that I ever knew

Raised with beauty, wealth and style

She was born into high society

But she took that silver spoon out of her mouth after a while

Did not engage in society’s piety

She was a democrat. And lady Democrats are like that.

I was still rough around the edges

I left home at 15 and at 18 I met her

My manners still as bad as the day I left the ranch

Hitchhiking to Houston and, somewhere in time,

I was accidentally part of her life and she part of mine

The day I met her, she took a good look at me

Her facial expression left a strong impression

I think from that day we both knew we had a big job to do

And among many things, Mary Dean taught me etiquette

She provided for me a perfect example

Of how to be gracious, diplomatic and damned charming

She was interesting, captivating and completely disarming

And I so wanted to be like her

To possess her comfort and ease

I still seek to be at least a cheap imitation

Of what MD represented to me

When Mary Dean died

She left me everything in her house that I had ever admired

She had made a note of it over the years

And I doubt that I am the only one that she blessed

But when we eat our meals on antique blue willow china

(because the good stuff’s in the china cabinet)

I think of Mary Dean