Ode to Mom :o)

Yesterday we had the joy and privilege of celebrating my mom's 74th birthday. We made a day of it with special dinners and nice gifts and precious time together. One of the things I've always admired about Mom is her spunk. She's five feet tall (if she wears 1/2" heels), but every inch is packed with tenacity.

Mom didn't have the easiest childhood. She lost her mother at the age of 11, then her dad began suffering strokes four years later. She was his caretaker until he died when she was 19. When she talks about the challenge of being housekeeper/cook/caretaker from such an early age, she never speaks with resentment or regret. It never occured to her to complain or wonder why--she just did what needed doing. Tenacity...

But Mom will be quick to tell you where she gets her strength. She asked Jesus to be her personal Lord and Savior at the tender age of five, and she learned early to lean on His strength when hers was gone. I so admire her strong faith, which was and is a never-ending source of encouragement to me. Seeing her live out her faith daily helped me seek my own relationship with Jesus when I was very young.

The third thing I admire about Mom is she refuses to get old. Oh, she's aging--the calendar says so, and there's evidence in her white hair and gently lined skin. But her attitude is never old. When I saw this picture and phrase ("It's important to have a twinkle in your wrinkle") I thought immediately of Mom. She loves to joke and tease, and most of the time it takes people by surprise because she looks so quiet and innocent. She's never mean-spirited, but she likes to have fun. And every time I'm with her, I have fun, too.

Mom is undergoing some significant health challenges right now, but in typical Mom-fashion, she isn't complaining. Doctors are baffled that she's doing as well as she is, given the situation, and I can't help but think it's her endless optimism, her spunk, and her ever-present faith that keeps her going. We'll be heading to the Mayo Clinic soon in the hopes the doctors there will be able to offer some help. But do you know what Mom is looking forward to? A trip with her family--Daddy, my brother, and me--just like when Brad and I were young and still lived at home. She expects us to have a very good time. And I have no doubt we'll be doing lots of laughing. That's just what we do.

I love this snap of Mom and me taken right before Mother's Day. We're laughing because we're posing in front of the outhouse.

Laughing... Proverbs 17:22 (KJV) says "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones." It's one of Mom's favorite scriptures. And no matter what happens, I'm sure Mom will find a reason to laugh. No dry bones for this spunky little lady...

I told Mom yesterday the birthday was hers, but having her as a mom meant the gift was mine. It put a twinkle in her wrinkled eyes and a real lift in my heart.

May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim