My Mother's Day (A Week Ago Now)

I had a nice Mother's Day. My daughter, Kara, came to church with me. There was a special performance and we were awestruck by the beauty of the service. I will tell you a little about the service below. Following church Tom, Kara and I went to lunch at The Olive Garden and talked and talked.

Just so you know I invited Kara and her whole family. But, the funny part is Kara didn't. She said, "I wanted to just have my mother's day with you and get you all to myself. Otherwise, I don't get to talk with you." So, Kara temporarily left her family to share mom's day with me.

My daughter, Sarah, gave me a beautiful bag with pictures of her boys on it. I will put a picture of that up too as soon as I take it. And, my son Adam, called from SC to say Happy Mother's Day. Tom gave me a digital photo frame which I have to put some pictures in yet. I am looking forward to doing that.

I think my family has me figured out. Every one of them knows how to make me feel loved!

Kara and Mom on Mother's Day May 11, 2008

Below is a portion of the Cantata, "The Weaver", performed at our church on Mother's Day. Tom sings in the sanctuary choir and Kara and I sat in the pew, listened to and watched the beautiful story of "The Weaver".

Ken Medema, the composer, is a musical storyteller with degrees in music and music therapy. He has been blind since birth. He plays the piano and sings what he sees with his heart.

I wish I had a video of the entire cantata. Watching Ken as the choir sang his words and the orchestra played his music was like watching him watch the music inside his darkness. His body knew every note and every word. It was magical to watch him hear and sing his own composition.



My favorite words sung by Ken start about halfway through this video. Here they are so you can read them if you want while he sings.

I see you, I hear you, I speak to you, I know you.
And the sound of your voice can bring tears to my eyes,
and the sight of your face can bring music to my breast, for I know you.

(How I wish I had been able to capture the rest of this part. I just wanted to cry the words and music were so beautiful)

Mother's Day Reflections

It is going to be Mother's Day when I wake up in the morning. I have had a mother. I am a mother. And, I am a mother to two mothers and a son who is married to the mother of his children. I am thinking about three generations of mothers as I look forward to tomorrow. I am also watching a movie on the Hallmark channel about a young mother who will not live to see her child grow up.

I am fortunate. I had my mom for almost 87 years and I learned so many things from her. Most of all, I learned how to be strong and independent without sacrificing my humor, softness and femininity. I learned how to trust my feelings. My mom was a wonderful role model for how to be a mother and a woman in the world.

As I was going through a drawer today, I found these pictures and scanned them in. They made me smile and go back in time. Don't ever open a drawer when you are trying to get something done. You simply cannot stay in the moment when you look at pictures.

My Mother Margaret

My mom holding a little clown I gave her and a potted plant my sister, Linda, gave her

My son, Adam and daughter Kara, with my mom and me in about 1985 in the house I grew up in and all of us loved

Me lying in my mom's hospital bed with her and watching some tv

Mom wearing her coca cola shirt, drinking a cup of coffee and just being her good natured self

SO...................

For those of you who are great moms, those of you who plan to be great moms and those who have great moms...

REAL MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of shag carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade...It is marked by the progression of Mama to Mom to Mother...

THE IMAGES OF MOTHER

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it.

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart,the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows. (This is an email my daughter, Sarah, sent me this week. Thank you Sarah!)

My special message to everyone..........Don't forget to enjoy every single day, love your mothers and your children. Reach out your arms because you are the link betweeen your past and your future.

The movie was Candles On Bay Street.........it was wonderful if you run across it!

A Simple Phone Call From A Little Boy

When the phone rang yesterday I said, "Hello!" The little voice on the other end said, "Hi Gramma!" I said, "Well, hi Punkin. How are you today?" And, then I melted. Punkin had called to say just one thing. He said, "Gramma, I wish you would come over to my house everyday and live here forever!" And, then he went off to play. His mom, Sarah, asked him if he was done talking to Gramma. He was. That is all he had to say. I am still smiling and feeling ever so wanted!

What Are Friends For?

So, I was talking to my friend, Joe from Ireland, tonight. And, he said to me, "You know what is wrong with you?"

Now, what kind of a thing is that to say to a friend I ask?

So, I said with some apprehension, "What?"

He said, "You're normal!"

I laughed.

The deal is I had my annual exam today and while I came away from it with relief and happiness with the results, I recognized I had been thinking about it for weeks. You know the part I hate the most?

Being weighed! I hate being weighed! I said to myself on the way over to the clinic, "Why do you always want to be different than you are when you go to the doctor?" I always think I should weigh less than I do. The doctor has never once told me I need to weigh less.

Joe told me everyone feels that way. There is always some apprehension when you go to the doctor. So, my friend broke the news to me..............

"Judy, you are normal!"

And, by the way, my blood pressure was 110/70 (nice and low) and my cholesterol was 172 overall (desirable is under 200) and my good cholesterol was 69 (desirable is 40 and above) and the ratio was 2.5.

Oh, and I didn't shrink!

I was told I was boring (in a good way), extremely healthy and to keep doing whatever it is I am doing.

Just think....I heard all that good news and it was topped off with being told I am normal. What a day!

Thanks Joe! You made me laugh. I also have been reading that laughing burns calories so I guess I also got my exercise in for the day!