An Heirloom Corsage

Answering my call on the Friday before Mother's Day, the florist informed me that they had no "product" in the store to make a corsage with.  Oh, the joys of living in a small coastal town!
Apparently, after all the orders for the high school prom the previous weekend, she had not ordered enough flowers to make even one more simple wrist corsage.

But my disappointment soon turned delight when I remembered I had saved the wrist band of my mother's last corsage!  Taking a rose bud from the bargain bouquet that my husband gave me, and using double stick tape, I fashioned a one-day corsage that had more meaning than anything we could have purchased!

Just nine weeks before Mom stepped out of her earth suit and into Heaven, I had hosted her 75th Birthday Gala.  She wore this wrist corsage"bracelet" with joy.  Now I have a new tradition...wearing her wrist corsage on a day that honors mothers.  A precious way to bring her memory into sharper focus!  What a blessing!

Essential!

Mothering is essential!
If we don't get it from our biological mother, we certainly need is from someone else.
Who mothered you?

                                                                       (circa 1986)

Today I'm...
Celebrating all those precious people who took care of our physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
Feeling the loss of my own mother and in tune with others whose moms have passed on.
Missing my kids and trying to down play their geographical distance.
Grateful to my husband for always esteeming my efforts at mothering.
Praising GOD for His goodness in my life!

(from a book of Haiku poetry I wrote back then)

~ HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY ~

Maternal Instincts

Don't you just want to scoop up this little chick?
Don't you want to make sure he has adequate food and water?
Don't you want to cuddle him?

I DO!

In full disclosure, I've raised several pairs of ducklings with the help of my kids.
My daughter was especially "maternal" with them, and we so enjoyed watching them grow.
Everyone needs a mother I think.
It seems to be the way GOD designed us.
We are created for nurture.
We receive it and extend it.
Motherhood is such a precious GIFT.

Blessings to you and yours this spring...((HUGS))

A Mother's Care...

is essential!

I was fascinated at the Zoo last weekend as I observed this mother monkey caring for her young.  She kept him close and hand fed him some fruit, taking occasional tastes herself.  So like a human mother, this primate tenderly cradled and nursed her offspring. Then, when she ambled to the other side of the enclosure, he hung on to her tightly, preserving the maternal bond.

Once again, I was reminded of how important a mother's care is. 

Of course, in our contemporary culture with adult children relocating thousands of miles away, a constant challenge for me is to "let go" of those I've loved so much.  Not being able to see them regularly is a bitter consequence of modern life.  But my love will never fade.  I will always be available if they need me.

Tethered to His Grace

I was on the phone with my oldest grandson yesterday.  Amos is almost six years old and homeschooled.  He says the most delightful and intriguing things!  You know, out of the mouths of babes.

There is usually some commotion going on at his house, with 3 little boys under the age of six, rough and tumble is the ever present "background" noise.  After a few moments asking about his day, I requested he take the phone to his Mom, so I could speak with my daughter.  With a slightly flustered sigh, Amos took stock of his limitations and declared:

"But we're plugged into the wall here!" 

It was hilarious to hear this little one, raised on cordless phones and cell phones, exclaim such a frustrating situation.  He was telling me he couldn't get his mom on the phone because he was tethered to one spot by the battery charger.  How precious!  How convicting!

Am I unable to please my Heavenly Father because I am tethered to my selfishness?
Does resentment or grief tether me when I could be set free?
Today I'm going to get "charged" up by GOD's Word first thing, so that I can freely move in Grace!
How about you?

My Precious Gals!

My Future and my Past!
Daughter and Mother, such beautiful ladies.
Thank You LORD for blessing me with their love.

May I rise from the wounding of my past
to lead the way of forgiveness
for my future...
only by Your Grace.

Is Your LIFE in His HANDS?

LIFE is so uncertain.
Yet we often coast through our days, taking people and blessings for granted.

Last weekend I drove 600 miles by myself to visit with family.  The trip involved an appointment with an estate attorney, because my father was turning 85.  What a reminder that life speeds by so quickly!
I needed the strength of the LORD to get me through a very emotional few days, and He used a song by singer Kathy Troccoli..."My Life Is In Your Hands"...to bolster me.

How grateful I am, that I can run to GOD for support and comfort.  How blessed I am to believe wholeheartedly that even though all else fails, HE is with me and loves me.
May you know that same kind of Love and Grace!

Here are the words to her song:

Life can be so good

Life can be so hard
Never knowing what each day
Will bring to where you are

Sometimes I forget
And sometimes I can't see
That whatever comes my way
You'll be with me

My life is in your hands
My heart is in your keeping
I'm never without hope
Not when my future is with you

My life is in your hands
And though I may not see clearly
I will lift my voice and sing
Cause your love does amazing things
Lord, I know, my life is in your hands

Nothing is for sure
Nothing is for keeps
All I know is that your love
Will live eternally

So I will find my way,
And I will find my peace
Knowing that you'll meet my every need!

When I'm at my weakest love
You carry me
Then I become my strongest love
In your hands!

Heavenly Jewelry

If you could choose what to wear into heaven, what would it be?
Would you pick a cherished ball gown from a memorable cruise, a tailored suit or your favorite pair of skinny jeans?
Would you dance into GOD’s presence in padded slippers or stiletto heels?
If you had a choice, would you greet Him without adornment or decked out in your most expensive jewelry?


Of course these are silly questions. We can’t select anything of this world to take with us into Heaven. The perishable cannot enter the eternal. Yet, I couldn’t resist the thought that GOD was adorning my mother in a special way the day we laid her body to rest.

You see, Mom was so classy. She was an Alfred Dunner type of woman, casually chic, with a little bohemian bent! And she loved to wear her jewelry, often pairing two gold necklaces together. One of her trademarks was a classic 18K gold, link bracelet which "clinked" as it slapped the surface of table tops whenever she put pen to paper. Earrings were an essential to frame her face and bring light to her eyes! Never would she leave the house without adornment on her ears or color on her lips, pre-requisites I’ve carried on. Appearance meant a lot to her, especially having climbed the corporate ladder with my father in the 1950’s and 60’s. Ever the “lady,” the way she presented herself always made me proud to be her daughter.

However, none of this was on my mind the day of her funeral when I purchased 13 white, pearlescent helium balloons. My intention was for friends and family to release them in her memory before we left the grave site. Supplying black markers, I invited those in attendance to write a farewell sentiment on their balloon if they desired. Then we released them into the balmy April afternoon and they rose together in a string of beauty!  Perfectly spaced, the balloons inscribed with our caring thoughts formed the shape of a glorious pearl necklace sent to adorn her. The “necklace” maintained its gentle curve against the deep blue sky all the way until it faded from view. It whispered peace to my heart. Even in this small detail, GOD was showing me how much He loved her…how much He loved me!

A Daughter's Final Gift!

Who doesn't like to receive gifts?

We all enjoy being thought of, don't we?

Well, I LOVE giving gifts...it is one of my Love languages.

Over the years I gave many gifts to my mother in an effort to see her happy.  She was such a complex woman.  The trauma of her childhood created a deep abyss in her soul and she self medicated with wine and vodka to cover her pain.

My regular notes and gift books, flowers and paintings, all brought fleeting smiles.  And when I presented her with grandchildren, that was pure magic because she so enjoyed their early years.   Still, her "liquid lover" (alcohol) kept her from truly receiving the love I offered.  As my children left the nest and my Mom moved close by, I needed to deal with the rejection I had felt despite all of my attempts to connect with her. 

And so it was that GOD did a mighty work in me!   As my care-giving duties increased, HE enabled me to give my Mom the best gift in the world...Forgiveness.

I was only able to give it because it was HIS Forgiveness flowing through me.   How remarkable that GOD loves us when we are unlovely...and HE empowers us to do the same for those around us!

(2007)

For over a year I have known that I was supposed to write the story of what HE did in my relationship with my Mom... about the final gift I gave her.

Though I have let illness and busyness, a major move and ministry needs derail my attempts to obey, NOW is the time to do it.  I am so thankful for all those who are praying for me to be  diligent in writing.  Please keep praying that I will allow GOD's SPIRIT to lead me to completion!  I'm not sure how much I will post on this Blog, but the following is an excerpt from the chapter on weight:

"During my pre-adolescent years, long before VCRs and DVDs, our family would gather around the black and white television to watch The Wizard of Oz.   You might remember that it became a holiday event.  That’s when I fell in love with the character of Dorothy.  Actually, I fell in love with Judy Garland’s yearning rendition of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.”  The song was haunting and inspiring all at the same time.  It described the longing in my heart to be somewhere else…anywhere more joyful, more loving,  more safe.  It became my favorite song, the one father would request if we happened to be in a place with live music.  That particular combination of lyrics and tune formed an invisible bottle opener, lifting the edge of my sealed-off hurt, allowing the escape of hope-scented tears. 

When I researched Judy Garland’s tormented life for a book report in junior high, I realized that her stardom came at a huge cost. One area that was always under scrutiny was her weight. Of petite stature, she carried curves of “baby fat” into her career and was put on endless deprivation diets. I remember reading once that she went for weeks consuming nothing more than toast and tea. In some small way, I could relate. 

My mother told me I was fat when I was 5 and half years old... "

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As always I am interested in your relationship with your Mom.  Feel free to share with us your triumphs and trials...I long to encourage you. 

Blessings to you and yours.