Remembering My Mother

Time. We only get so much time. When all is said and done, it’s not how much time we have, but what we do with the time that we are given that really matters. My mother died two years ago today, so I have been thinking about life, love, and family. Mother was 87 when she passed, and lived a full life. Daddy had died when she was 60, leaving a big hole in her life. As I look back, she was an amazing woman. Actually, they were an amazing couple!

My parents believed that you don’t talk about your faith, you live it. They expected a lot of themselves, and raised the bar pretty high for all of us. We never wondered where we would be on Sunday morning. If it was Sunday, we were at church. We learned how to live our faith by watching them every day. They didn’t have to preach – their example spoke volumes.

My mother always made lists. As we went off to college and then started our own families, she wrote down a list of things to tell us when we made our weekly call to check in. She didn’t want to leave anyone out. When she traveled, she wrote down everything she did, including what meals were served. So when we asked how her trip was, she could give us every detail. In that way, we all were able to enjoy the little moments of her travels. That’s how I learned what life was like with my siblings in California, Wyoming, Georgia and Texas. She helped us build connections when our lives were too busy to see for ourselves.

Whenever I shared a problem with her, she seemed to always remember to ask how things had been resolved. I wondered how she could remember so much, until I found her prayer book! That little prayer book had all her prayer intentions recorded. The ones that were struck out were answered prayers. She told me that she went through it each day to make sure she didn’t forget anyone. Now that’s faithfulness…

When I picture my mother with her siblings, it is always an action shot – and everyone is laughing! They were great at telling stories and finding humor in things. I loved the sound of their laughter! Their closeness has been passed down to the next generation – a real gift!

My parents’ legacy is our

family. They didn’t build an empire or gain fame and fortune. No one wrote a book about them. They lived a humble, joyful, faithful life and cared deeply for their family and friends. They taught us how to live. When I read the paper or see the news online, I realize how fortunate we were to be raised in that environment. I hope there are many more people who are living the same way, even though we don’t hear about them. Look around. Notice the people who do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. I love today’s Thought for the Day. Pope Francis is right -- don’t focus on the tree that falls, look up at the strong trees that fill the forest!

Blessings,
Barb