What would life have been like if I hadn't had her? What would life have been like for my four siblings if we hadn't had her for a mother?
Mother gave us a love of the written word. She read to us out of a big book of nursery rhymes with elegant illustrations. My mind filled with the wonder of how words created images in the mind and beauty in the heart. It was more than Humpty Dumpty on a wall or Georgy Porgy making girls cry. It was an invitation into a world that was both magical and beautiful. For the rest of my life I have loved to dive into the deep, refreshing pool of literature. And Mother put that love into my heart that made me want more than just a taste of the honey of reading.
Mother also enriched our lives with a love of music. She and Daddy both majored in music in college and sang beautifully. I was surprised to grow up and find out that everyone else didn't cut their teeth listening to Mozart and Beethoven and Chopin on big 78 records. Of course when we got older, we listened to the music of our own era, but we kept a love of classical music filed away in our minds.
Mother also sang to us at night in her sweet, rich voice. Those times were the calmest and sweetest of my childhood.
From her, we got a sense of what was culturally appropriate. We said, "Yes Ma'am," and "No, sir, " and received nothing with out using, "please " and following it with, "Thank you. " We knew that polite company didn't say rude words or spit or wear something inappropriate.
Of course this is one area against which we pushed hard. In retrospect, those little niceties made people feel comfortable and honored. So those lessons have application today in a time when no one wears white gloves and few sit down to a formal meal and certainly not with china , silver and crystal.
Mother taught us the importance of faith. There is absolute truth found in God through Jesus Christ, and she instilled that in us early on. What was truly important was found in God's Word, and we knew it. Today all five of us walk in that truth. That to me was the richest gift, because it invited me into a friendship with the Maker of the Universe. I am His cherished daughter and how rich life is because of that.
