My mother has been gone now to heaven for 11 years – gone way too soon. She would have been 80 today. I miss her. Miss not being able to call her and share where I’m at on my faith journey. Something about calling your mom, always made things better.
I still have moments of grieving her to this day. Anytime I hear “It Is Well” (the gospel song), I tear up because she used to sing it. My husband will gently take my hand as I search for a tissue.
But my mom… she was unique. She was brilliant for one. I’m sure a lot of people think their moms are smart, but mom was legit brilliant intellectually.
As I remember her, here are a few things about her and things I learned…
- She was Miss Beech Bluff Highschool.
- She met my dad on a blind date.
- Mom went back to school when I was born – I was the baby of 4 – and she got her teaching degree.
- She attended Union University. During one semester she took 32 hours of classes. She had to go to the President’s office to get special permission to take that many hours. He told her that if she was crazy enough to do it, he’d let her and she did. She graduated from Union University.
- My mom picked cotton growing up – she told me stories how they used to put bricks in their cotton sacks so the bag was heavier.
- Mom could sing so beautifully and always sang in church.
- On my birthday, she would call me at 9:11am and sing me Happy Birthday because I was born at 9:11am ON 9/11.
- My sister told me once mom sent her bible to Elvis because he had lost his way and she knew that could help him.
- Her students LOVED her. To this day, I have people say she was their most favorite teacher ever.
- Mom was full of grace and mercy. Quick to forgive.
- She sacrificed for dad and his business.
- Mom always put others first.
- She taught Special Education & had a gift of making those often overlooked feel special.
- My favorite meal she made was friend chicken or fried deer tenderloins, fried taters and cornbread.
- Mom loved Jesus above all else. She had a relationship with her father, Yahweh like no one I’ve seen.
- When I started driving and was waiting to pull out somewhere she would tell me “just wait, eventually an opening will clear.” I tell my kids that today.
- She made my beauty pageant dresses, my Easter dresses, my barbie doll clothes, my cousin’s bridal veil and more. She made Strawberry Shortcake pillows and blankets for me. I really wanted a cabbage patch doll in 5th grade and she made me one.
- Goodness she loved to SMOKE! Drove me crazy but she enjoyed smoking so much.
- She said she once caught me eating a stick of butter??!! Then she said that if I were eating it then my body must have been craving something in that butter.
- Her name & number are still in my phone.
- I recently had a lady in mom’s women’s group tell me that once mom walked in with a pan and washed everyone’s feet just like Jesus. THAT was mom.
- She carried heavy crosses in this life but now she is wearing a crown.
- She taught her children that loving Jesus and having Him a Lord of our life is most important. She wanted to make sure she would see us one day in eternity.
Mom, I miss you. One day I’ll see you again!
