My mother was born in 1940 & she died in 1982. I was fifteen & she was only 42. She died of uterine cancer. This is about her.
Growing up she was the most Godliest woman that, to this day, I have ever known. Out of the 15 years that I knew her, I only heard her use a swear word ONE time. My children can't say that. She was so giving of herself. She had 3 sisters that lived in Montgomery or Wetumpka & when their father (my grandfather) had declining health, she stepped up to the plate without a lot of help. She took care of his physical, as well as, his emotional needs. Granted, he wasn't the most kindest, gentlest soul, he was an alcoholic, loved smut magazines, member of the KKK in the sixties. I think you get the point. She looked beyond that. He was her father. She loved him
UNconditionally, regardless of his down falls. I remember him coming to church with us one Sunday evening & I had prayed for this man, as a little child, to accept Christ. He came forward & was baptized a couple of weeks later. Was he sincere in changing? Only God knows, but I think he was. My mother cried & cried the day he was baptized. I remember this day like it was yesterday.
She was so giving of herself, even on the bad days. She taught me grace & how to love unconditionally. Something else that stands out about her is her backbone of steel. For lack of a better term, she didn't take any crap. Respectfulness in our household wasn't only expected, it was required. She did NOT negotiate on that. You could be angry with anyone about anything, but don't disrespect them in ear shot of her, or it was ON! She would make you pick your own switch and tear your behind up in a heartbeat, if you deserved it. I survived many a switch spanking. All of them well deserved. I remember once, I was around 7 or so, I was taking a bath & she was fixing her hair. I got soap in my eye and blurted out the word 'Dammit'. She said, 'What did you say?' I said, 'Dammit'. (I know... DUMMY!) She yanked me up out of that tub, naked, soap still stinging eye, and took my toothbrush & scrubbed it on the bar of Ivory soap and commenced to brushing my teeth, tongue, gums, whatever... It was horrible! There was another stupid time where we were on the way to school and I was in the back seat & she told me that I could not do something. I got angry & I said, 'Shut up'. She pulled the car over, put it in park and said, 'What did you just say to me?' And I answered her.... 'I told you to Shut up.' Thinking at this point, I was big and bad. She came out of left field and punched me square in the mouth and said, 'Don't you ever speak to me like that again.' She turned back around and started driving to school. As I got out of the car, lip swollen, bleeding, she says, 'I love you, honey. Have a great day at school.' I also was mean to my best friend that lived down the street. She was so naive. We went walking one afternoon and I left her on the railroad tracks and went home. She got lost, of course and when it got dark, her mother called my house & asked my mother if I had seen Amy. I lied and said no. Needless to say, they found her & the truth was revealed. For that stunt, I think I got the hardest, most deserving spanking I had ever gotten. My mother took me to their house after she whooped my tail and made me sit on the curb, while she went in to check on Amy and her mother. When we got home, she told me that she loved me, but also said, 'We don't treat friends like that, ever.' I don't think I left the house for weeks afterwards.
She also made sure we were at church and I hated her for it, most days. If the doors were open, we were there. She was the church secretary, so there were weeks when we were there, every day! Well, today I am better for it. She was the Sunday School teacher and sang in the choir. She taught me that church & God are very important and should be treasured in life.
This post is not for you to feel sorry for me. This post is to remember her. Some of the things that I regret her not being around to witness is teaching me how to drive, the prom, my high school graduation and the birth of my children, but I would not ever wish her back, because, you see, the last 28 years she has walked with her Savior, talked with Him & sat at His Father's feet.
One day, we will do it together.
