September 16, 2007 was my mother's 95th birthday!! She is doing great!! What an amazing lady. She is sharp, healthy and has more wisdom than ever. She is still my role model and I am sure that she always will be. She has taught me so many things at the various stages of my life and now she is teaching me how to grow older gracefully.
When I was little girl she taught me to always do my best to look nice. She made all of my clothes - many out of scraps. But they were always neat and clean and she set an example for me that I have never forgotten.
I learned to sew from her. She doesn't remember teaching me. But I remember learning. She used to sew for the public- especially during the war and she used my grandmother's old treadle sewing machine. It had a long arm out to the side and I would sit on it and ask her a million questions about what she was doing. All of those answers accumulated into my knowledge of sewing. As I got older I made many of my own clothes and most of our daughters clothes until they were too old to wear "handmade" things. (Of course I was a great seamstress again once they got older and needed maternity clothes.) Now I sew for others as my Mom did. I make quilts for hospice and tiny little quilts for the preemie babies at the Oklahoma Children's Hospital.
During the war my Dad had to work in Oklahoma City and we lived in Cordell. He left every Sunday night and came home every Friday night for many years. She taught me devotion during those years. I never heard her complain about being alone or having the responsibility of taking care of me all by herself. She taught me faithfulness. I am sure it was hard to be alone but we went on with life as if it was a normal way of living. I never felt like we were different. It was just the way we lived and it was fine.
She and Dad taught me a good work ethic. When I got my first job at 14, they quickly reminded me that if I had other things I wanted to do and was scheduled to work at the same time, the work came first. They also told me that I should never quit one job until I had another. Mom and Dad were hard workers. They were honest and fair and sharing. I saw them build a business from scratch that provided benefits to many families. My Dad went to work every day, no matter what. I never remember hearing him say that he was not feeling good or wished that he didn't have to work that day. That is just what he did and there was never any question about it. Mom was right there beside him. She kept our home neat and clean and was always there when I needed her, but she helped Dad too. She also substituted in the schools and was active in the Mother's Club and taught Sunday School and did volunteer work. She taught me not to complain no matter what happens in your life. When life is good you go on and when it is challenging, you go on anyway.
The value of a good education was always foremost in our home. I was raised in those days that if you got in trouble at school, you got in trouble at home. When you are raised by two people who had taught school for many years, you didn't have much chance to claim that the teacher was wrong and you were right. I knew that I was to study and apply myself. I don't remember them ever discussing my grades. I just somehow knew that I was to do my best. I also knew that I was going to college. It just wasn't an option to think of anything else. I have to admit that it did take me a while to graduate. My Dad asked me one time how it could take someone six years to graduate from college when one was smart enough to get out of high school in three years. I just reminded him how much more fun college was!
Most of all, my mother taught me how to be a mother and a wife. She taught me devotion and discipline and faithfulness and belief. I hope and pray that I have passed those things on to our beautiful daughters. I have believed in them every day of their lives and I always will. They live in a different world than what Robert and I grew up in, but they are raising fabulous children and that, to me, is evidence of what they learned to believe in. We are very, very proud of them.
And now Mother is 95. The last three years I had the privilege of helping her write her life story. It is about 150 pages long and is entitled "Mom's Story." We finished it in time for her to share it with her remaining brothers and sisters and grandchildren on her birthday. The book ends with her philosophy of life. She said that no matter what happens, she "chooses to be happy." What a legacy! Happy Birthday Mom and many more!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
39 And Holding!
I can remember when I could claim to be "39 and Holding," but suddenly my daughter caught up with me and that didn't work so well. That is kind of like going to a class reunion. No matter how much you pretend to be younger than all of those "old" people, it is amazing how many of the same stories you recognize! Yes, I am WAY behind on my blogs but I am committed to catching up and the first story has to be about my 50th class reunion last summer. Actually it was my first 50th class reunion - my second one will be this summer. I know that is confusing and I am really not senile, yet, it is just that I skipped my junior year in high school and "actually" graduated with the class ahead of me. However, I went all the way through school with the class that is having the reunion this summer, so I still claim them too.
Truth be known, it was great fun to see everyone. We shared memories that I had not thought of in 50 years. I even found out how upset the FFA guys were with me on the trip to El Paso when I was their sweetheart. It seems that I went off with someone else for a while and didn't spend my entire time with them and that didn't go over so well. I also found out that there was a place outside of town where apparently a lot of them partied during that time. I didn't know about it until last summer!! Was I innocent or what?!?!?
As I am growing older I am realizing more and more each day that it is not the "things" that we are going to leave to our children and friends that matter, it is the memories. It is all of the shared laughter and tears. It is the being there for each other and seeing things through each others eyes. That is what really matters. I have some really good friends. I am so blessed. When people have known you for 50 years and they still like you. That is special.
I had many friends who were upset with me because I chose to graduate early. The thing that impressed me most was the the class I moved into never suggested that I "didn't belong" or that I wasn't "really" a part of their class. They have always treated me just like I was one of them. I really appreciated that and still do. Thank you guys.
We have all gone our separate ways. Not many of my classmates still live in Fort Stockton, where we grew up. There are not many things that are still the same, but even though we were a small town and a small class, the good memories are huge. Solid friends will always be the best. Some people avoid their reunions. I wouldn't have missed mine for the world!
Truth be known, it was great fun to see everyone. We shared memories that I had not thought of in 50 years. I even found out how upset the FFA guys were with me on the trip to El Paso when I was their sweetheart. It seems that I went off with someone else for a while and didn't spend my entire time with them and that didn't go over so well. I also found out that there was a place outside of town where apparently a lot of them partied during that time. I didn't know about it until last summer!! Was I innocent or what?!?!?
As I am growing older I am realizing more and more each day that it is not the "things" that we are going to leave to our children and friends that matter, it is the memories. It is all of the shared laughter and tears. It is the being there for each other and seeing things through each others eyes. That is what really matters. I have some really good friends. I am so blessed. When people have known you for 50 years and they still like you. That is special.
I had many friends who were upset with me because I chose to graduate early. The thing that impressed me most was the the class I moved into never suggested that I "didn't belong" or that I wasn't "really" a part of their class. They have always treated me just like I was one of them. I really appreciated that and still do. Thank you guys.
We have all gone our separate ways. Not many of my classmates still live in Fort Stockton, where we grew up. There are not many things that are still the same, but even though we were a small town and a small class, the good memories are huge. Solid friends will always be the best. Some people avoid their reunions. I wouldn't have missed mine for the world!