Mother's Day

Mom's Sunday School Teacher commended us for sacrificing our time to hear him.

"It was for Mom, I said."

Dinah visited with a retired music conductor who said she had been crying all day.

Mother's Day is a day of pain for many.

Investigating

Awaiting a Delicious Dinner

We watched the movie, The Boy in striped Pajamas

At the film festival, Mr. Phillips used this movie

as an example of seat-gripping intensity

without actual displays of violence.

David read from the scripture.

Dinah listened.

Most of Mother’s dresses were blue, since that was her favorite color.

On one of her birthdays, we walked back and forth to a corner market two blocks away about four times to buy things we were sure she would like.

Psalm 103 was her favorite chapter of the bible. We all learned it together: Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name...

Dad once bought us each a penny candy; mine disappeared so fast, I had a quick story: “The cat ate my candy!” Another was brought for me. I ate it with guilt, and then confessed to mom that I had eaten both. Mother had me kneel down next to her bed and confess my sin.

Mother was on her knees each morning at 5:30 praying aloud for us. I slipped into the living room one morning to listen, waiting to hear my name, wanting to learn her concerns for me.

Mother and Dad read scripture and missionary books to us, followed by family prayers, each morning before breakfast.

As I left for school, mother always said, “Goodbye, God bless you, and don’t forget I love you.”

Mother taught me a bedtime prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep…”

Dad once asked her if he should buy another cow. Mom said she would rather not, but Dad went ahead with the purchase. I saw her in the bathroom with tears down her face and remembered her problems getting drug in the dirt by a runaway cow.

Mother was our church janitor. She cleaned church alone all day long on Thursdays and Fridays. We children helped on Saturdays. She saw it as a great service to God. I knew then and I still believe that her time spent with us was her greatest work.

Mother took me with her when she went out to women’s missionary meetings. I was the only daughter at home, since I started first grade when Mary started high school and Fama began college.

Thursdays and Fridays I came home from school to an empty house. When I was younger, Mother arranged for me to hang out at a neighbor’s house till she got home. Dad picked her up on his way home from work, around five. When I was about ten, she left work for me to do; usually ironing the church nursery sheets.

Mother was not fond of housekeeping, but she loved to work in the yard and garden.

Mother canned apricots and peaches and tomatoes. She put a few apricot pits in each jar for flavor. Now we know those pits to be anticancer.

When Mother told me about people who offended her, I shared her offense. Mother usually spoke of church people with great admiration, yet I felt she was the godliest person I knew.

Mother taught Sunday school each week and also used her flannel graph bible stories in a back room during the Sunday evening service. After telling the story, Mom would let a child take all the figures off and place them on as he retold the story.

Just after the pump on our well was replaced, Mom stood and said simply, "Thank God for water,” one Wednesday evening prayer meeting during testimony time.

Mother often exclaimed, “Esther, you’re worth your weight in gold!” She often sang to me, "You are my sunshine."

Mother’s rebukes began with, “Esther, now I don’t mean to be unkind but…”

Each time a young man came to our house, to see me, Mother let me know that she didn’t think this was the right one for me. When a fine young man came who had my heart, Mother said not to worry if he isn’t interested in marrying you, God has someone better for you.

A husband seemed slow in coming. Mother prayed for me. I prayed for a man of God. When David asked Dad if he could marry me, Mother spoke to me in the kitchen, “Esther, I’m so happy for you.”

Mother was always proud of everything people did for her. She loved God, her family, her church, friends there in Walnut Park Retirement Center. The people often tell us Mom is the sweetest lady there. We are sure it is true.

My Love and I

My Mother's Day Bouquet


Our Caboose

A Piano Lesson for Papa

A call came from our married daughter, Fama,

completing the day.
Holly Hocks,
like those that grew in front of our house
when I was a girl.
Once I saw a honey bee gathering pollen there.
I remember closing it up in the flower
plucking it
shaking it vigorously
and tossing it into the air.
Great way to get stung!