Friday, May 1, 2009

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

This is the month for honoring mothers, and I'm honoring mine. The photo at left shows us at the Victorian Tea Room on Mom's 84th birthday last September.

I'm the fifth of Mom's five daughters, so that makes me the baby girl. The others love to rib me about that, but I don't mind. It's fun being the "youngest daughter!"

My mom's an amazing woman. She was a faithful wife to my Dad, raised six children, (I have one brother), cooked for 8 people every day and kept a nice home. Even in the leane$t of time$, Mom made sure our home was full of warmth and joy.

Mom's also a trooper. After investing all those years in her daughters, she saw them marry and move away. Two moved *very* far away -- one to South Korea, one to Brazil with their missionary husbands. Their visits home were infrequent, so Mom had to say goodbye to her daughters for 3 and 4 years at a time. There were times when mail service was erratic, at best, and it must have been difficult for her to "not know" how they were doing. Mom has never met five of her great-grandchildren who live in Brazil. That must be tough, but she's a trooper.

My Mom is also a hard worker. She gets outdoors most days for a walk or some work in her little garden. She also scrubs, mops, cleans and cooks in her homey little apartment. I've known her to share, on many occasions, what she cooked with others who were sick or less fortunate. On her "free" time, my mother enjoys doing word puzzles and jigsaw puzzles. She also sews for herself and others, and she is good at crocheting and jewelry-making.

Mom stays in-the-know. As a patriot who is concerned for her country, she writes letters and makes phone calls. She helps assemble Christmas baskets for the needy. She also watches the news and knows the weather at just about any given moment of the day. Mom isn't afraid of computers or new-fangled technology, as my Dad would have called it. Now that the internet has connected her to Brazil, she and my sister chat often, and she is able to receive photos of those sweet great-grands via the internet.

My Mom has many friends. In her apartment complex, she knows all of other 46 residents and is a friend to many. She is a friend to anyone of any age but especially enjoys young folks and little children. When Dad was still alive, they often entertained young Bible college students in their home. Some of our young people at church have "adopted" her and claim her as a grandmother. The little ones know she carries gum and stickers!

It was in 2003 that Mom moved to our area. Since I'm the only one of six children living near her, I'm Mom's official appointment-maker and chauffeur for doctor's appointments. We see one another every Sunday at church, and she is often here for Sunday lunch. I'm glad I still have my Mom. If I can be half the woman and mother she's been to me, I'll consider my life well lived.

2 comments:

  1. What a lovely tribute to your mom...Happy Mum's Day to you, as well! (A wee bit early, but nevertheless, heartfelt wishes!) Blessings to you! Janine

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  2. Beautiful! You have a very special mom. You resemble her. I can see that same smile and sparkle in your faces. Isn't it wonderful to have mom close by? I treasure each moment I share with my mom.

    Blessings to you today.

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