Gifts From My Mom

I have dreaded this day, since the day my Mom died in July. My first Christmas without her. No, I’ve not spent all 57 Christmases with her, but I’ve always been able to talk to her…until today.

I got the nudge to reach out to my lifelong friend, Pammy Jo on Friday. The nudge was to tell her I loved her and that God had brought her to mind during my quiet time. I don’t know why, but He does. So I sent her the text. She replied with her thanks and she loved me, too. She said “God is good all the time.” Then she said, “Another thing to thank our moms for, wanting us to know Him!” You see, my Pammy Jo lost her sweet Mom, Marilyn on December 21, 2021, just as unexpectedly as I in July. We’ve been talking about our mother’s. They were best friends when we lived in Oklahoma prior to our move to Georgia. They literally did everything together…hence Pammy Jo and I did everything together, too.

Her reply got me thinking. What other “gifts” did Mom give me in the almost 58 years we had together? I’ve sat with the thought for a couple of days and I’ve come up with this list.

*Faith, I come from a long line of believers. We live it out in our family. Yes, even in our struggles, we know He has us “in the palm of His hand”, as my Grandpa Bill used to pray.

*Empathy, Mom could always feel what the other person felt. I have this in a BIG way. I can feel what others are feeling just by walking into a room. Sometimes it’s a blessing and a curse!

*Stubbornness, again I come from a long line of stubborn people.

*Kindness, people often mistake “being nice” for kindness. They are not the same. Kindness comes from your soul.

*Family, although mine has shrunk greatly, I have my chosen family. I am forever thankful for them. They continue to stand with me as I navigate this journey. Mom had to find her chosen family when we moved to Georgia.

*Generosity, not just monetarily but with our time and our own personal gifts and talents.

*Leadership, Mom was a leader of many things, but she never walked ahead of those she was leading, she walked beside them.

*The ability to listen. Actively listen. She listened to understand, not to simply reply.

*Strength, as in fortitude. It wasn’t until I became an adult, that I realized the amount of fortitude my Mom had in the late 1960s when she was a divorced, single mother in a time when divorce was a no-no.

*Equality, everyone and she meant EVERYONE should be treated equally with respect and kindness. Mom told me a story when I was very young about how she had been in a segregated school. She said one day she and her friends were walking somewhere in our small Oklahoma hometown and there were some African American kids playing. One of the little girls fell and scraped her knee. Mom and her friends went to help…Mom always had a handkerchief (before Kleenex, IYKYK). The little girl told Mom and her friends that they had better go on before someone saw them. Mom said nope. She gave the little girl the handkerchief and waited with her to make sure it stopped bleeding. When the girl asked Mom why she would help someone so different than she, Mom looked her in the eyes and said, “We aren’t so different. See your blood is red just like mine!”

*Superstition, again I come from a long line of superstitious people. My great grandfather, Pa Little, was the ring leader of this trait. Granny had some and so did Mom, but nothing like Pa and I.

*Laughter, laughter is good for the soul. Mom could make you laugh especially when she got her tongue tangled up. My Daddy was always intentionally screwing up words…that would get Mom doing it accidentally. I miss that.

*Love, not just saying “I love you”, but showing it by your actions. You know the saying, actions speak louder than words? That was Mom, always showing her love. She said it, too…every time she’d see you or talk to you.

*Forgiveness, she could forgive very easily. I struggle with this one, I’m not going to lie. But, she always said to forgive because I have been forgiven. Ouch, Mom!

*Sports, she loved her some sports and so do I. Her favorite was basketball. Specifically, her OKC Thunder. She’d watch football, and baseball, but basketball was her all time favorite. Oh and the Olympics! She loved watching the summer and winter games. Track and field events were her favorite summer games favorite. Ice skating was her favorite for the winter games. She’s got a good seat to watch the summer games coming up next year.

*Cooking, not just with a recipe, but with your heart. She taught me to make country gravy just like Gran had taught her…no measurements, just the feel of it. She taught me to make cornbread dressing last year when she had broken her leg. Again, no recipe…just the feel of the spoon as it goes through the mixture and the smell…”you’ll know when you have enough sage, by the smell”.

These are just a few of the gifts given to me by my Mom! If you are blessed enough to still have your Mom, learn from her. Soak up everything you can from her! You’ll be so glad you did!

Peace and Blessings to you and yours!

Merry Christmas,

lp