A tribute to Mom - 2014

Thinking about Mom tonight, and some reasons she is so special to her family ...

Mom has never been very tall, but to us, she stands head & shoulders above other moms.  That's because of what she means to us and what she meant to our precious Daddy during their 47 years of marriage.  There are several things about our mother we'd like to share ...

Mom has always served others.   
When she was just a young girl, Mom was expected to make wise decisions when alone with her older sister, who was disabled.  She also had to keep an eye on two feisty little brothers while her parents worked in the fields.   During those years, there was very little time for Mom to be a child or to play much.  She learned early to cook, clean and nurse others, including her own mother who sometimes spent weeks in bed due to Bright's disease, a serious kidney disease.  Through the years, she has served in other ways -- working as a college cook, sewing for the public, setting up and managing bookstores, teaching classes and opening our home to missionaries, evangelists and others who visited our family.

Mom has always been creative. 
As a child, she liked to draw and would often sit up late at night to doodle or sketch by lamplight.   She was also creative in clothing her five daughters.  Mom see a dress in a store window or a magazine and then sketch on newspaper what she'd seen in order to make a pattern.  Once she chose the fabric, she'd stitch up a lovely outfit for one of us girls, always adding a little something to make it unique. 

She was creative in many other ways, too, and made our home neat and attractive on a very slim budget.  I remember the pretty curtains, drapes, bedspreads and tablecloths she made, along with her knack for upholstering furniture.  She also painted, wallpapered and worked hard to make our house look cozy and pretty.  Mom also was creative with words -- penning  lots of poems and writing helpful articles. One of her writings on bereavement was published and is still being distributed.

Mom has always loved to garden. 
Her parents saw her active interest in growing things and designated a 12 x 12 plot on the family farm for her use.  Our mother laid out a well-kept garden of flowers and plants that thrived, and once the gardening bug bit Mom, she was hooked for life.  When we were kids, our yard was a colorful canvas of  tiger lilies, roses, dahlias, princess feathers, petunias, cannas, and more.  Out back there was a vegetable garden that put lots of fresh food on the table in summer and canned and frozen foods for winter. 

Mom has always loved to learn. 
To her, school was a wonderful challenge and a break from responsibilities at home.  She learned quickly and developed a beautiful handwriting that was often complimented.  Mom had to drop out of school before graduation to help with the house and farm due to her mother's sick spells.  She and Daddy loved learning what we children learned at school and kept up with news and current events.  Mom regretted not finishing, so at the age of 50, she studied for and received her GED, then went on to graduate college at the age of 55. 

Mom has always been a lady through and through. 
In her growing up years, women were taught to be modest and ladylike.  Oh, that didn't meant she couldn't wear dungarees or slide into home base when she played ball with her brothers!  Nor did it mean she couldn't fish or hunt or shoot well ... or pitch a mean game of  horseshoes.  Yes, Mom was quite competitive, and when she and Daddy were a young couple, Mom outdid several of the men target practicing at a family reunion when she shot the head off a matchstick.  ;-) 

But she was a lady, too.  Daddy treated Mom so tenderly and always had his arm around her waist or shoulder when they stood together.  He also complimented her often, and we kids knew that before he came home from work each evening, she would powder her nose and put on fresh lipstick.  What fun it was to see him literally sweep her off her feet while she squeal and said, "Honey!"

Mom has been - and still is - a woman of faith. 
She loves the Lord and knows that without Him, we have no hope or help in time of need.  She and Daddy taught us Bible verses and that it was important to put our trust in God.  During our growing up years, we always knelt around the old couch and had prayers before bedtime.  As a resident here, Mom continues to reach out to others who are lonely or upset and has tried to encourage them and pray for them. 

Our Mom is one of a kind.  She loved us, taught us, nursed us when we were ill, corrected us when we misbehaved and taught us to be respectful.  She also taught us to work hard and be honest, to love our siblings and try not to argue with them.  :-)  Our Mom will always be Mother of the Year to her six children.  Love you bunches, Mom!