My Mother was a woman, more than that she was a Lady, a Lot of the Faith I have today, she taught me.
My Mom too. Mom started volunteering as an organist at church when she was 12 or 13 and NEVER missed a Sunday until Mom had open heart surgery. Mom missed 1 Sunday when she had open heart surgery and 1 Sunday when she was battling breast cancer but that was it. Growing up Mom taught piano lessons and was the organist and choir director at church for extra money for the house since 5 kids were not cheap but that also meant that us kids went to church faithfully. All the time Mom was at church working so too we’re us kids. We’d usually be outside playing at church on Wednesday nights when Mom had choir practice. Our pastor was awesome…he was a MAN from the greatest generation and a chaplain in Korea that loved hunting. He’d know how much time I had to kill while Mom did her job/s and tell me that the starlings needed to be thinned out giving me something to do. I’d spent countless hours on church grounds hunting non-native species and having a blast. Hundreds or more likely thousands of hours I spent at that church and ALL my memories are wonderful memories of a simpler time.
Mom always said that if she hit the lottery she would continue to work and not miss a Sunday but she wouldn’t get paid. Mom was as close as I’ve knowingly come to living Saint. My mom was full of love, patience and kindness in quantities I’ve never seen since. Mom was slow to anger and quick to make up never carrying anger or animosity in her heart. Mom had a faith that I used to pray that I’d have someday….her trust in the Lord was amazing to me! I thought Mom was as perfect a Christian as anyone could be, including Mother Theresa, but as I’ve matured in my understanding and in my faith I realize that Mom was no better or worse in the Lord’s eyes but in my eyes Mom WAS PERFECT…the perfect mother, the perfect friend and ally, the perfect Christian, the perfect home maker and the perfect human. Based upon how lost dad is everyday since Mom has gone Home…….I’m sure that if I asked dad about his middle school girlfriend and lifelong partner dad would tell me that Mom was the perfect wife too. Mom was the perfect role model for our Christian faith for us kids when we were growing up and ALL of us have a close, personal relationship with the Lord.
The 2 things Mom had told me (I’m the oldest) in the later years that she desired most for us kids were 2 things that were already carved in stone and I doubt we could’ve changed them even if we wanted to. Mom wanted us “kids” to always get along and love each. Mom didn’t want distance or the busyness of life to get in between the love we have for each other. I promised Mom that since I’m the oldest I would be sure that us brothers and sisters stayed close and that no pettiness would interfere with our relationships. I’m fortunate because I don’t have to nurture and attend to the relationships of my siblings because we just naturally love each other. My younger brother is excellent about getting everyone together and he is 1 person in this world that if I or any of my siblings was in trouble in Shanghai he’d be on the first plane there and he wouldn’t leave until I was safe….I’m the same way. The other most important request for her children other than loving each other was to KNOW and LOVE God! Mom wanted each of us to know and love God like Mom loved God. I never thought I could be as close to the Lord as Mom was but I sure wanted to! Thanks to the example Mom set I feel that my relationship and love of the Lord is just as strong as Mom’s which is an extremely strong statement for me to make. My relationship with the Lord is the foundation of my life and my love for Him is what I imagine Mom felt for Him but I’m sure our individual relationship with the Lord is slightly different.
My Mom was as close to a Saint as anyone I’ve ever known and I so look forward to being reunited someday in the distant future….what a reunion that will be. I HAVE to do my best in this life so that NOTHING interferes with giving Mom a kiss and having her perfume linger on my whiskers….the little things that never even registered back then become sentimental memories of enormous happiness…
