For the funeral we were asked to choose an Alleluia verse. I decided to start from the bottom of the list and knew immediately that the first one I read was for mom. It reads ‘Blessed are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their labors for their good deeds go with them.’
Mom was always working, always helping, always moving. God blessed her with an abundance of energy and she was very generous with it. Cooking, cleaning, organizing, baking, doing laundry, gardening, canning, shopping, sewing, doing crafts, helping with the grand children, planning get-togethers and making it all happen – freeing up everyone else to exercise their God given talents. She was a truly great mom and devoted wife.
God also blessed her with courage. The courage to tell her children how good we had life, how fortunate we were, and how to appreciate what we had. She would say things like God gave you two good legs and two good hands, use them. God put a good head on your shoulders, use it. Don’t just sit there like a bump on a log. Waste not – want not. And eat your vegetables. There are poor starving kids in Africa that would love to eat them.
She also told us how difficult being a grownup was going to be and challenged us in the hope that we would be strengthened in order to make life’s difficulties – like this one – a little easier. Through sometimes seemingly impossible expectations, I learned that failure is acceptable, can be learned from and makes us stronger and better, but choosing not to try and put forth the effort is not acceptable, because that only teaches how to give up, lose faith and lose hope.
The thing I will remember mom most for is the fruit pies she baked. As a girl she won a 4H award for a pie she made, but for me every pie was a winner. It wasn’t just how great they tasted though. Mom baked into her pies and everything she did that special ingredient – love, caring, generosity. I believe we all try in our own ways to bake that special ingredient into everything we do too, but mom had a real knack for it. And that’s what I’m going to miss most about mom. The unique way that only mom could bake that special ingredient into my life.
Thank you mom. I love you.
David
