Mom

She was 42 when I was born. She was a preacher's wife, a mother of five, a Sunday school teacher, church clerk, chalk talk artist, and Girl Scout leader. She sang alto, and sometimes she would sit down at the piano and play "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". Mom loved birds and wildflowers and passed her appreciation for nature on to me. And even though she occasionally threatened to "wring the cat's neck", I have a sneaking suspicion, based on the fact that no neck-wringing ever actually took place, that she loved our furry friends, too.

On Sunday mornings, Mom would be up early, peeling potatoes and preparing a beef roast for the oven so that it would be ready when we came home from church. And on Sunday afternoons, she usually made some kind of dessert -- a cake or apple crisp or gingerbread with lemon sauce. She made our home a comfortable, welcoming place. To Mom, people were more important than things. She always welcomed visitors and made everyone feel at home.

 Mom was able to turn hand-me-down dresses with worn out sleeves into stylish jumpers, or combine pieces of two different garments to fashion a new look. She crocheted baby booties and afghans and taught me how to crochet a scarf when I was young. And she created a whole wardrobe of Barbie clothes one Christmas, although Barbie's wedding dress never got completed as a result of my poor timing on a bad case of chicken pox!

Being the youngest of five children, and a great deal younger than some of my siblings, my experience and relationship with Mom was probably somewhat different than theirs. As long as I can remember, Mom had gray hair. As she got older, those salt and pepper strands grew more beautiful,  becoming a shining crown of silver. Her style changed from simple cotton house dresses to pastel skirts and jackets, but no matter what she wore, Mom always looked lovely.

After my brothers and sisters were married and Dad had passed away, it was just Mom and me. We would go shopping together in search of the perfect outfit for some special occasion, always an exhausting experience since she always seemed to be looking for something that she couldn't find. We would search through the mall for the elusive outfit, then usually proceed to one or two other shopping centers before finding what she wanted. Sometimes we would end up at the fabric shop, choosing patterns and material to make a satisfactory alternative. And then we would go out for supper and enjoy each other's company as well as the food.

Mom could be serious, and Mom could be silly. But she was always kind-hearted. She touched many lives in her 80 years on Earth, teaching, serving, caring, loving, and being a true example of a  godly Christian woman. Mom is in Heaven now, singing alto in the heavenly choir. And bringing smiles to everyone she meets.