TWO YEARS

Yesterday, January 8, marked two years since my mother's passing.  Time does heal, but thankfully, it does not take away precious memories!  The purple iris was one of her favorite flowers, and I can't see them without thinking of her.

All of us do miss her--I especially miss our talks, and I knew I could tell her just about anything.  She WAS MY MOTHER, and I suppose one does not really appreciate what a blessing is until it is no longer there.


Oh, I appreciated my mother and all she had done for me, or so I thought.  Now, as I look back, I wish I had spent more time with her in those final days.  Of course, we didn't know exactly when her time would be up--we knew it was coming, but not when.  The most beautiful thing about her death is the fact that she was a Christian, and she knew where she would spend eternity--in heaven with the Lord.

I posted the comments below yesterday on Facebook in regard to her passing:

On Saturday afternoon, Jan. 5, I visited her, and we spent several precious hours talking 
and reminiscing--it was like she was her old self again, and said she felt great. I think the 
Lord gave me the gift of that day with her since she had been in and out of the hospital for 
several months. The doctors had told her there was nothing else they could do for her. 



Then, the nurse called me Monday morning and said Mom had taken a turn for the worse. I 
went over and stayed with her all day, and the nursing home staff came in and out to say 
their good-byes to her because they knew she didn't have long. That was a very difficult day 
for me. Clark and I went back Mon. night--she was barely conscious, but she did know us and tried to talk. She died Tue. before I could get over there. 



We will see her again!

MY MOTHER'S TABLE

 

We recently moved to the suburbs of Atlanta, and in our new home is a breakfast nook.  "Aha," I thought to myself.  "This is the perfect place for utilizing my mother's small table."

A round antique table that opens to an oval shape, it seats four people comfortably.  Unfortunately, the top (a dark stained wood) got scratched in the move, like much furniture does, even with great care and precautions. Not to be defeated, I simply covered it with an inexpensive tablecloth and other decor, and it looks just fine for daily dining, even with the grandchildren.  We are also using my mother's chairs with it.

Why write a post about a lowly table?  I'm thrilled that you asked, because if that table could talk, there are so many things it could share!  Just eating a meal at that table causes so many great memories to flood into my mind that I had to write about it.

My parents bought that table at an antique shop when my dad was stationed in Bremerhaven, Germany, when I was about ten or eleven.  It first graced the hall of our Army quarters there, a well-appointed, three-bedroom, THIRD FLOOR apartment (there were 64 stairs up to it, and there was no elevator), with all the furnishings provided by the military.  My mother loved that table, often adding crocheted doilies (the style in the fifties), small antique "doodads," and such on it. 

 

We often had to put the table, along with other furniture, in storage because of lack of space when we lived in smaller quarters.  The next time I remember its being in use was in their home after Dad retired from the Army.  With the table opened to its current oval shape, it was used for many family dinners and fun times.  I stated earlier that it seated four comfortably--but at meals in my parents' home, we would pull up other chairs, stools--what have you--sometimes having eight people around it in close fellowship!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HOLLY!

Today is our oldest daughter Holly's birthday . . . she was born at 6:08 a.m. in VA Baptist Hospital in Lynchburg, VA, 34 years ago.  The delivery room nurse commented, "Oh no!  Not another loud one!"  Even then, Holly was exercising her lungs in preparation (I am certain) for her beautiful singing voice later :).

Life has never been dull since--she began walking at 10 1/2 months, would spend hours sitting perfectly still if I would look at (and later read) books with her, and was a bundle of energy.

She's a busy pastor's wife and mother of three;

 she's a wonderful daughter and big sister;

she loves her family and does so much for them;

and she always "gets into the act" at Halloween and any other time she needs to:  birthday parties, church and school functions, etc.

But above all, she's a committed Christian who lives out her faith by doing for others and using her talents and creativity for Him.  I am proud to be her mother.

HAPPY 34TH BIRTHDAY, HOLLY!  WE LOVE YOU!!

FAMILY: WHAT A BLESSING!

 This is not just another post.  This is about my family that I love, and I have been blessed immeasurably by God for allowing me to share this life with such wonderful people.  And, do you realize how difficult it is to condense these beautiful lives into a few sentences each? 

Clark with Asher

My husband Clark:  We've been married for 40 years.  He's a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather with numerous exemplary traits:  for instance, he can fix just about anything.  You wouldn't believe me, anyway, if I listed them all!  He's just that kind of person, and I cannot imagine my life without his presence.

Daughters Holly and Bethany:  These fantastic young women have enriched our lives far more than I could ever describe here.  Both are talented, beautiful inside and out, and are two of my very best friends.  Holly is a dedicated mother who sings beautifully; Bethany is a trained chef who cooks deliciously.  We three share a zany side to our personalities, making us prone to laughing fits.

 

Kurt and Bethany

Holly and Philip

Our sons-in-law, Philip and Kurt:  Total opposites in personality, these two young men are wonderful husbands, and we consider them sons. Philip is also a loving father, a scholar, and a pastor. He's quiet, but beneath that calm exterior lies an extreme sports fanatic! Kurt is a computer genius who can do anything with any item of technology (he would dispute that statement, but it's true). When we first met, I realized I had another early-morning talker with whom I could converse before 6:00 a.m.

Our three grandchildren:
Well, what grandparent does not love his/her grandchildren?? I see some of us in each of them, and it is delightful to "go down memory lane" when they say or do something revelatory of ourselves. Annika, Alexa, and Asher are beautiful, sweet, loving, and God-given enrichment to our family!