A Tribute To My Mother
Hi everyone! Today's post is all about my Mom in honor of Mother's Day this Sunday. I wish my Mom was here to celebrate with me. But, unfortunately, she has been gone now for 30 years. I was around 37 when she passed and I have missed her so much over the years. She never got to see me in my 40's, 50's or, now, my 60's. The above picture of her was taken when she was in her 60's, I think, and it's hard for me to believe that I am around the same age as she was in this picture.
As I've mentioned before on the blog, I am the youngest of five girls and I arrived quite unexpectedly and was a big surprise to my parents and sisters. I was one of those babies that appeared after my Mom had her tubes tied! It can happen but is very rare. I guess I was determined even back then!! (wink) In the above picture, I'm holding my Mom's hand standing on the railroad tracks that we used to walk yearly, making a trek to the remote graveyard where my Mom's parents were buried. She lost her parents at a very young age-she was 3 when her own Mother died and around 10 when her Dad died. That must have been so difficult for my Mom and her brother to go through.
My Mom worked at many different jobs in her lifetime. When I was little, she worked in food service and then later at a sewing factory. But the job I remember most was when she became a department head at Hills Department Store. She worked in what was called "soft lines" which was the Ladies Ready to Wear Department. She had a good eye for quality pieces and enjoyed her own personal style in clothing and jewelry as well. She even took classes to create jewelry and really enjoyed doing that. She always liked to look nice with her hair styled nicely, manicured nails and coordinating pantsuits like the one you see in the above picture. Pink was one of her favorite colors! She loved Mary Kay Makeup and Estee Lauder perfume. I still have one of her old bottles of Estee Lauder.
Although my Mom dressed up to go to work or church, once she was home, she loved to put on one of her many "lounging gowns" to wear around the house. She had a collection of these gowns and I can still picture her so clearly wearing them. I have kept a couple of her gowns as keepsakes and have used parts of them to create a pillow, a skirt and a doll's dress. These items are precious to me. In the above picture, my Mom is holding her birthday cake. I think this was a "Texas Sheet Cake" which was a delicious chocolate confection!
My Mom didn't get to travel a lot in her lifetime. But she did go on a few trips like this one to see the ocean. This was in 1979 and it was the first time I had seen the ocean, at least that I could remember. What a vacation that was! Here, Mom is enjoying being in the water. She had such a lovely smile! She enjoyed traveling around our home state of West Virginia and also traveled some to Maryland, Florida, Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
She and my oldest sister also typically made a trip down to North Carolina every year to visit The Mr. and me. Sometimes, some of my other sisters and brothers-in-law would come too. These trips usually included some gem hunting. My Mom was a "rock hound" and loved to look for gemstones. She had a rock tumbler and would go home with rocks that she would "tumble" to see if there were any gems to be found. Usually not, but she still enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and kept the rocks as souvenirs.
My Mom dearly loved her five daughters, her "girls." She could be strict and definitely let us know that she was in charge as the mama, but we also always knew that we were loved and cherished. I treasure this picture of all of us together, all dressed in pink, at a family celebration. My Mom also loved her sons-in-laws and grandchildren.
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| The skirt I made from one of my Mom's lounging gowns. |
My Mom was a strong Christian and loved to talk about "her Jesus." She was an adult Sunday School teacher for many years and studied the Bible throughout her life. I can honestly say that she was the biggest influence in my Christian life growing up. She had a wicked sense of humor at times, loved coffee, the Smurfs and the California Raisins (she had stuffed ones), and made the best chocolate fudge, potato salad and pumpkin pies you've ever tasted! She couldn't carry a tune in a bucket and said that when we were all little we would ask her not to sing to us! She instilled a love for reading in me and some of my favorite memories are of her taking me to the library for my first library card and to used bookstores to buy books. We both shared a love for mysteries and the "Cat Who" series of books by Lillian Jackson Braun. I bought her many of these books and now have her collection of them.
My Mom enjoyed flowers and I planted Coral Bells in my cottage garden several years ago because I remember her talking about these flowers. They really took off and are thriving. I wish my Mom could come visit me this summer like she used to. I don't think you ever get over needing your Mom no matter how old you are. I sure do miss my Mom and love her dearly and think of her often.
Happy Heavenly Mother's Day Mom! I love and miss you! And Happy Mother's Day to all of my readers who are Moms and women of influence to others.
Until Next Time,
Debbie This and That