Remembering Momma
I was reminded a couple of days ago of the old movie, "I Remember Momma". It was a tenderhearted and compelling story of a family of immigrants who came into America from Europe. The Momma in the store was quite amazing in making her family feel protected and cared for. She was extremely frugal nightly counting the money they had earned that day and them saying with a sigh, "I guess we won't need to go to the bank." All of her and her husband's concerns about finances were held from her little family for she knew that it would cause great stress if they were aware of how miniscule their amount of money was.
In one particularly good story within the story was when her little brother or little daughter needed to have their appendix removed. She desperately wanted to be with this child and the hospital rules said that no one was to be on the wards except nurses, doctors and clean up people. The mother devised a plan to see her child realizing that the little girl would not rest if she did not see her mother or hear her mother tell her goodnight. She snuck into the area of the janitor's closet, put on a smock and got the bucket and mop so that she could mop her way to see her recovering daughter. She managed to visit with her every night until she was released. It was a particularly compelling story because of the level of love and willingness to sacrifice were manifested in the lives of this family.
As I reminisce on this story, I thought about my own mother. My mom loved people no matter how rich or how poor they were she had the ability to empathize with everyone she met. If she entered a crowded room, it would not take her long to make her way through the crowd and tell everyone how glad she was that they had come and how much she enjoyed meeting them. She was one of the most outgoing and loving people I have ever known. When my father died, this openness to strangers put Mom in a new light. I arrived at her home one day and found a strange man in the house. Mom was just being her usual friendly self but I felt that an older lady living alone should not be inviting people in that she did not know. It was hard to break old habits. So God took care of it. Mom attempted to stand in her living area and when she stood up her foot broke. She could not move. We took her to the hospital and they put her foot in a splint but she was not allowed to walk on it. As a result, we had to find a way to take care of her. For a brief period of time she had to go to a rehab facility. She was very unhappy there and I didn't blame her. My sisters and I discussed the fact that Mom's friendliness to strangers might be dangerous for her. We prayerfully sought a way to put her at a nice assisted living facility where she would be protected from any potential dangers. It took a year before she accepted it but thankfully she did.
In the ensuing years, Mom made so many friends and knew the names of probably every staff person. She would help other people who became confused and did not know where their room was. The staff was being constantly asked about one individual who had taught piano. He was very lost. He could not find his room and he wandered aimlessly looking for it. Mom stepped into the staff meeting and said "If you want to help this patient so that he will no longer be bothering you, put a sign on the door with a piano and he will know that is his room." The staff did just that and the man never again inquired about where his room was.
Mom's knowledge was so practical. She ended up on the food committee and she would play bingo. She would call and tell me that she had won a snickers bar or a tootsie roll. She had a lot of fun. She was a voracious reader. Every week a lady from the church would bring her a whole new stack of books to read and Mom devoured them like a person on a desert island. At her funeral many people came from the assisted living facility and shared our sorrow in losing such a loving, kind and generous person. I know that she and Dad are thoroughly enjoying their place in Heaven together. To this day I miss them both but the beauty and joy they brought into our lives was very special. They were not perfect by any means but they tried to do the right thing in the right way. They worked hard and never expected any handouts. One Pastor told me that when my parents left the church and moved to another state that the wife had to go to work to make up for the financial loss. Mom and Dad were givers.
My parents were never rich. They grew up during the great depression. They understood the value of a dollar and the cost of keeping a family. On my Dad's small income from the Military Dad was able to support five children. We always felt rich. New clothes for school, Easter and Christmas were always provided for us each year. We got whatever toy we might have liked but only one not dozens like some do things today. When my older sister worked she would buy all of her four siblings something for Christmas. We didn't have birthday parties but would occasionally be allowed a sleepover for something really special. Although they were not rich they were in possession of immeasurable wealth in the form of their love for God and service for His Kingdom.
I hope that should the Lord tarry His return, I will have made a positive impact on my own children's life. No one is ever perfect and scripture makes it clear that we should walk in all of the light we have. We will be held accountable for our lives and the way we have lived them. I want my sweet Heavenly Father to say, well done and that my friend is the real truth.
In one particularly good story within the story was when her little brother or little daughter needed to have their appendix removed. She desperately wanted to be with this child and the hospital rules said that no one was to be on the wards except nurses, doctors and clean up people. The mother devised a plan to see her child realizing that the little girl would not rest if she did not see her mother or hear her mother tell her goodnight. She snuck into the area of the janitor's closet, put on a smock and got the bucket and mop so that she could mop her way to see her recovering daughter. She managed to visit with her every night until she was released. It was a particularly compelling story because of the level of love and willingness to sacrifice were manifested in the lives of this family.
As I reminisce on this story, I thought about my own mother. My mom loved people no matter how rich or how poor they were she had the ability to empathize with everyone she met. If she entered a crowded room, it would not take her long to make her way through the crowd and tell everyone how glad she was that they had come and how much she enjoyed meeting them. She was one of the most outgoing and loving people I have ever known. When my father died, this openness to strangers put Mom in a new light. I arrived at her home one day and found a strange man in the house. Mom was just being her usual friendly self but I felt that an older lady living alone should not be inviting people in that she did not know. It was hard to break old habits. So God took care of it. Mom attempted to stand in her living area and when she stood up her foot broke. She could not move. We took her to the hospital and they put her foot in a splint but she was not allowed to walk on it. As a result, we had to find a way to take care of her. For a brief period of time she had to go to a rehab facility. She was very unhappy there and I didn't blame her. My sisters and I discussed the fact that Mom's friendliness to strangers might be dangerous for her. We prayerfully sought a way to put her at a nice assisted living facility where she would be protected from any potential dangers. It took a year before she accepted it but thankfully she did.
In the ensuing years, Mom made so many friends and knew the names of probably every staff person. She would help other people who became confused and did not know where their room was. The staff was being constantly asked about one individual who had taught piano. He was very lost. He could not find his room and he wandered aimlessly looking for it. Mom stepped into the staff meeting and said "If you want to help this patient so that he will no longer be bothering you, put a sign on the door with a piano and he will know that is his room." The staff did just that and the man never again inquired about where his room was.
Mom's knowledge was so practical. She ended up on the food committee and she would play bingo. She would call and tell me that she had won a snickers bar or a tootsie roll. She had a lot of fun. She was a voracious reader. Every week a lady from the church would bring her a whole new stack of books to read and Mom devoured them like a person on a desert island. At her funeral many people came from the assisted living facility and shared our sorrow in losing such a loving, kind and generous person. I know that she and Dad are thoroughly enjoying their place in Heaven together. To this day I miss them both but the beauty and joy they brought into our lives was very special. They were not perfect by any means but they tried to do the right thing in the right way. They worked hard and never expected any handouts. One Pastor told me that when my parents left the church and moved to another state that the wife had to go to work to make up for the financial loss. Mom and Dad were givers.
My parents were never rich. They grew up during the great depression. They understood the value of a dollar and the cost of keeping a family. On my Dad's small income from the Military Dad was able to support five children. We always felt rich. New clothes for school, Easter and Christmas were always provided for us each year. We got whatever toy we might have liked but only one not dozens like some do things today. When my older sister worked she would buy all of her four siblings something for Christmas. We didn't have birthday parties but would occasionally be allowed a sleepover for something really special. Although they were not rich they were in possession of immeasurable wealth in the form of their love for God and service for His Kingdom.
I hope that should the Lord tarry His return, I will have made a positive impact on my own children's life. No one is ever perfect and scripture makes it clear that we should walk in all of the light we have. We will be held accountable for our lives and the way we have lived them. I want my sweet Heavenly Father to say, well done and that my friend is the real truth.
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