On April 7th, my Mom began her new and glorious life in heaven with Jesus. All of the pain, frustration, and difficulty of the last several years is over. She is happy, healthy, and I'm sure enjoying adding her voice to the multitudes praising Jesus! She loved to sing and she was good at it.
My Mom was an amazing woman! She was my greatest mentor, encourager, role model, and friend. I miss her alot! It hurts to know that I can't call her and talk and laugh.
Growing up she had a very tough family life. Rather than letting that experience shape her marriage and family, she had a single minded determination to have a family that was happy, healthy, loving, loyal, and strong. One of the ways that played out was an unquestionable truth that all of us kids would go to college. Mom worked at a job she enjoyed but under the leadership of a difficult boss for nearly 20 years to make sure that we all could attend college. No debt...no doubt!
I always knew that Mom loved me. I can remember one day when I was 12. She sat me down on the couch for one of her Mother Daughter chats. On this particular day, she put on a record and sang to me the song "First Born". Then she shared her deep love for me as her first born. Looking back, I imagine that I was acting like an adolescent, struggling with the desire to become more independent yet needing the advice and strength of my parents. Mom let me know that day that no matter what, she loved me and would be there to support and encourage me.
Mom did have her limits. One camping trip she refused to get out of her sleeping bag until the coffee was made because it was "too darn cold." Dad and us kids got busy making a fire and getting the coffee brewed. When she had her cup of coffee she jumped up and began getting breakfast organized. My Mom's pancakes, cooked over an open fire were nectar from heaven.
I'll never forget the day my Mom and I got to laughing so hard we were crying and wetting our pants at the same time. Dad had made a set of bookcases for the basement family room. Problem was, he made them in the garage and they needed to be moved down to the basement. He recruited Mom and I to help him with the move. Unfortunately, the bookcases were just a fraction of an inch too big to fit down the stairway. Dad was pulling from below and Mom and I were pushing from above. Mom called down, "Jeff, they aren't going to fit." His response was an adamant yes they will if you two just push. So we proceeded to push and could hear Dad huffing and puffing. Mom and I started to giggle, then belly laugh. Dad hollered up, "What are you two laughing about? Shove d...it!" That was it, Mom and I broke out in hysterical laughing and ran for the bathroom. Dad did have to shave a little off the bookcases, and we did get them downstairs. The one time my Dad made a measuring error is a great family joke that still makes everyone laugh and head for the toilet!
The greatest gift my Mom gave me was a strong faith and trust in God and His word. As a young mom I was doing the religious drill. Getting the family up and ready for church every Sunday morning. But it was boring, irrelevant, and I asked my Mom "If God is real and faith matters, why does my church and my faith feel so dead?" Mom could have gotten preachy with me and upset. But instead she calmly and gently said, "Oh Valorie, you don't need more church, you need more Bible." She then began a mission to get me connected to a women's Bible Study Fellowship group in Indiana. By the end of the day, she had the name and phone number of the leader for me to call. She gave me a study on the character of God that she had found helpful, and she began praying. That conversation with my Mom combined with her prayers, changed my life and the lives of my family. In studying God's character and His word, I met Him and began a relationship with Him. Mom said and did just the right thing! She helped me. She is so wise and good. I hope I can be like her!
Mom and Dad had an amazing marriage. Lots of love, kisses, fun, and travels. They spent 3 great years touring the US in an RV. They had so many great experiences, made friends all over the country, and really focused in as a couple. They settled in Texas for retirement and have a great circle of friends, a church community that they love, and a nest that is filled with treasures from a lifetime of family memories. We all celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on a cruise to Alaska. What a family memory! Mom singing in my Dad's ear, "It Had to be You". We had fun, we made memories every day, we lived and loved well!
I miss my Mom! I love her dearly. She made a difference, she showed me how to live life well. I look forward to being with her again someday!
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