I am blessed to come from a long line of Moms. Ha ha.

My mother on the left with two of her sisters.

My mother taught me many things. Like the importance of words and of pursuing your dreams. She wrote hundreds of articles, stories, puzzles, etc.  I think she got paid a few cents/word. But she faithfully wrote, faithfully sent out her work and never complained when she got rejections.

She taught me how to work hard. Monday was wash day and that meant putting a tub of water on the stove to heat overnight then up early to start the laundry. All the clothes would be hung on the line before we went to school. She also grew a huge garden using the empty lots of either side of our house. Most of the labor was done by hand.

She taught me the importance of taking care of others. She regularly visited shut ins, often opened her house to someone in need and took care of a friend’s child for several months when the need arose. I never once heard her complain of the extra work or inconvenience. Come to think of it, I never heard her complain about much of anything and her life of hard work makes mine look easy.

She taught me the importance of reading my Bible and memorizing scriptures, offering us rewards for learning many passages by heart. Along with that, she taught me that God loves me and because of Jesus’ death on the cross, there is a way for me to enjoy that love eternally. I remember asking her, at the tender age of four, what I had to do. I don’t recall the exact words but something to the effect of just asking Jesus to be my Savior. I think she used the words, ask Him into your heart.

Mom, your works rise up and bless you. Thank you for being faithful to your dreams and convictions. Thank you for teaching me such valuable lessons.