“Mom” - what I wrote for my mom’s memorial service. ❤️

 Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t have the best memory, unlike my sister Mary Jane who could probably tell you what outfit I was wearing on the night I fell asleep at the table when Mom said we couldn’t leave the table until we finished our American chop suey. However, when I think about my mother I do have quite a few memories. As a mother, she wasn’t without fault. Many of her ways in child rearing were questionable but I know now it’s because as Roman’s 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. I think it is human nature to remember negative things or things that caused us pain, but I choose to think of the good parts of my mom and there were many. I remember how hard she worked to provide for our family and because of her example, I became the same. There aren’t enough words to express how grateful I am that she exposed me to God at a young age. The love and faith that has grown in me is what gets me through days like today. With a family of 10, we very rarely had money for extras but somehow, she always made our Christmases extra special. Although we had the excitement of Santa, she made sure we knew that Jesus was the reason for the season. Some of my favorite memories of Christmas was her bringing us to Christmas Eve service at the Assembly of God church in Lawrence.

I cherish the alone time I had with her when she drove me to kindergarten in the morning and picked me up in the afternoon. She always sang in the car or told me fun-loving stories and she made me feel like I was the only person that mattered to her during that time. I think she cherished that alone time with me as much as I did. I will always cherish our thousands of conversations that always included fits of laughter both as a child and an adult.

I knew this day would come and I truly thought that the years of her living in Florida and physically away and me, living my own adult life, would’ve prepared me for it. The rationale of my thoughts was that she lived eighty-seven years, she looked forward to Heaven, knowing she’d have an eternity of no pain or sorrow. To finally let go of the guilt of the sins she carried. To be in the presence of her Heavenly Father and his son that left those sins on the cross. To reunite with the many loved ones who were there to greet her. I truly am happy for her. 

I wrote in my blog recently that as an LNA, sister, and friend, I have sat with many loved ones as they took their last breath, but it was a whole different experience holding my mom’s hand as she took hers. I am blessed that I was able to be with her as she was with me when I took my first. I realize that eighty-seven years is a blessing that many don’t get to do, but when it’s your mom, there’s just never enough time.

I look forward to the day when we see each other again.

I love you Mom for always!

Your favorite “Baby Girl”.