Tribute

Long-forgotten memories slip through my mind

on little kitten feet;

Pleasant thoughts…finally blocking out buried

childhood discomfort;

Falling asleep to the sound of the sewing machine

humming late into the night;

Bible stories, church, and FAITH!

Stray cats, too many and pregnant, trips to the pound

to leave unwanted kittens;

Trips to the pound to get the kittens back–guiltily

wanted after all;

Puppies and dogs and birds and rabbits and

goats who ate rose hips;

Singing in the choir, the real CHRISTmas story, and FAITH!

Having an “old” mother become a “new” friend, sharing

secrets and laughing at the same things;

Unspoken words understood through sidelong glances,

bursts of giggles no one else understands;

Tears of pain, tears of joy, smiles of sorrow, smiles of

glee, deaths of many, redemption of more;

The Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost…FAITH!

More than I can say, for what you are and what you’ve

given to me, Thank You.

And most of all, thank you for teaching me to have a heart that loves

and FAITH!

July 22^nd is my mother’s birthday. She would have been 95 this year. She died when she was 76. Too soon. My mother and I had the normal mother/daughter issues, but she gave me the greatest gift one human being can give another.

She instilled in me a deep and abiding love for God. Through her sometimes way too rough life, she never wavered in her faith. I’m sure she must have at times, but she hid it very well. She was not a “why me” individual. One CHRISTmas, I wrote the above poem for her and pasted it into a special book I made. It was full of photographs of our lives.

So in July I wish to pay a tribute to my mother. Every day I look at a little picture frame. It has a small rainbow and the words “Hold Fast to Your Dreams” on it. She put a wedding picture of Ed and me inside. On a small label above that, she typed “I believe in you” and the date. And believe in me she did.

I was lucky. I had two moms. One official, and one official. Ilene went to school with my mom and dad, and they stayed friends over the years. When I got stationed in CA, I ended up moving a few blocks away from her. She became my “other” mother. Her birthday is July 24^th. When my mother died, I called Ilene and said, “I’m an orphan.” Her reply? “What am I? Chopped liver?” No…she was so much more than that. She’s gone now, too. Again, too soon. But in getting another mother, I gained another precious gift…a sister. Thank God she’s still here, because life would be terrible without Linda in it.

There’s a saying that God couldn’t be everywhere, so he created mothers. There’s also another saying that on the eighth day God created cats, but I believe I’ve already addressed the cat issue. The best job in the world is being a mother, and my mother took her job very seriously, as did Ilene. So, Mom, Happy Birthday! I know you’re enjoying pecan pie every day and not gaining weight, because I know where you are. One of the biggest regrets of my life is that you will not be here to hold a book in your hand that has my name on the cover, because you never stopped believing. You are loved, and you are missed. (So is your spectacular pecan pie.) More than that, however, is a big thank you from me. For giving me the greatest gift. Faith.