This week, I took the girls to my mother's about 3 hours away. We left our house on a partly-sunny 50-degree Tuesday morning, went through sleet, snow, rain, and more sun before arriving shortly after noon. What crazy weather!
While the girls played, memories of an easier life danced around in my mind. Visions of my mom at my age now seem so clear. I wish I knew her better when she was in her 40's. What were her hopes? Fears? Passions? She shared some stories of her childhood, as is common when we are alone together. She grew up very poor. She had no modern conveniences as some of her friends. A blurred television was something she could only hope for. Indoor plumbing? Yes, they had running water in the kitchen sink, but had to take the soft path to the outhouse. Years later, I hiked down that same path at Grandma's, with fear, hoping a snake, mountain lion, or bear would not choose to take a bite out of me. My mom shared how she would walk to the bottom of the mountain to meet some handsome man, fresh out of the army. This same man was divorced, not something her father would approve of. He was a drinker, too, and 9 years older than my mom. But, he was quite taken with her. After a 6-month courtship, they married in a courthouse in Virginia. That wild man was my father in 1963. Mom and Dad were married 35 years before he died very suddenly one sunny December afternoon. I had a hard time when I lost my father. I lived in Illinois at the time. Jack had just been born 5 weeks earlier, and it was Christmas. My only comfort came from knowing that he loved the Lord with all his heart. As much as I ached, I cannot imagine what my mom must have experienced. She had been completely dependent upon my dad. After his death, she had to learn so many things. She had never even pumped gas for the car or used an ATM machine.
That was over 12 years ago. She has accomplished so much in these years. Fear was her enemy during that first year of losing Dad. It is so amazing to see her at peace and full of confidence. This is peace and confidence from the Lord. He has blessed her in so many ways, taken such good care of my mother. It was so good just to spend a couple of days by her side, being her daughter.
