Saturday will be my mom's 84th birthday. I am taking this opportunity to publically thank her for the 62 years that I have been her child! As a little girl growing up in rural 1950's Iowa, I thought she was the most beautiful mom ever. She had lovely long black hair; mine was merely brown. She had beautiful brown eyes; mine were a greenish brownish hazelish color. She wore a "housedress" every day. In fact I never saw her in slacks until after I was married!
My mom was a hard working woman. She raised five kids, often having to do more than her share because my father was the busy pastor of two small rural churches. She also had to wash, hang out, starch and iron six white long sleeved shirts a week for my dad, plus keep up with the mounds of laundry that five active kids can create. Mom always had a tasty meal on the table, even when she had to invent it out of sparse ingredients. I marvel at her feeding our family of seven, plus the teacher of our local Christian Day School who lived with us, on one package of hamburger or one small chicken. She made a wonderful chocolate pudding cake that baked with the cake part on top and the sweet chocolate syrup on the bottom that we often begged for.
Mom was an excellent role model for her four daughters and one son. My father was the head of the house, and my mom never questioned that. She loved, honored, and obeyed, and did it happily. She loved her children and never failed to provide open arms to cuddle us when we were little, or to offer a hug and a listening ear to us as we grew. It was from our mom that we learned to pray, and at bedtime she never failed to tuck us in, hear our prayers, and say good night.
Life has thrown my mom a few curves, but she has kept her sense of humor and good attitude through it all. When I became a mother for the first time I wanted to be just like my mom, an ambition that I have failed miserably at, but one that I am still working on. I pray that God will permit my mom to have many more birthdays, because I still need her.
Thank you, mom, for your years of caring, for your example, and most of all for your love. You can't begin to know how much I love and appreciate you.
1 comment:
Marge, that was beautiful. I remember telling my mom how much I loved her and thanked her for loving me thru good and bad times. Shortly after that, she had a stroke and was not able to talk. I will never regret saying those words and neither will you. I agree, your mom is a very special lady and so are you - my friend. -- audrey
Post a Comment