I REMEMBER MAMA AND DADDY

THIS SUNDAY IS MOTHER'S DAY.

BECAUSE OF THAT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TRIBUTE

TO BOTH MY PARENTS.

MAMA.....

MAMA AND DADDY HAVE BEEN GONE NOW

FOR OVER 25 YEARS,

BUT THEIR MEMORY IS VERY VIVID

IN MY MIND AND HEART.

I CONSIDER MYSELF

EXCEPTIONALLY PRIVILEGED AND BLESSED TO

HAVE HAD THEM AS MY PARENTS.

WHAT A GREAT HERITAGE I HAVE!
WHEN I REMEMBER MAMA,

I THINK OF SOMEONE WHO WAS VERY STRICT,

BUT WAS ALSO 'THE LIFE OF THE PARTY'.

IF WE WERE IN THE CAR

ON THE WAY TO SOMEPLACE SPECIAL,

LIKE A PICNIC OR VACATION, OR ANYTHING ELSE

THAT WAS GOING TO BE FUN,

MAMA WAS ALWAYS

THE ONE WHO WOULD BEGIN

THE SINGING IN THE CAR.

SHE HAD A BEAITOFUL VOICE!

IN THOSE DAYS WE DIDN'T HAVE TAPE PLAYERS

OR CD PLAYERS IN THE CARS,

SO WE WERE OUR OWN ENTERTAINMENT.

(SOMETIMES I THINK

WE WERE A LOT BETTER OFF THAT WAY.)

SHE ALSO WAS THE ONE

WHO WOULD START SPECIAL CAR GAMES.

OH WHAT FUN WE HAD!

MAMA HAD VERY DEFINITE IDEAS

OF WHAT WAS RIGHT AND WHAT WAS WRONG.

SHE LIVED HER LIFE BY THOSE PRINCIPLES

(WHICH WERE BASED ON THE BIBLE)

AND EXPECTED MY SISTERS AND ME

TO DO THE SAME. I'VE OFTEN SAID

THAT I AM WHAT I AM TODAY (WHATEVER THAT IS)

BECAUSE OF THE FEAR OF GOD AND THE FEAR OF MAMA.

IT WAS A GOOD KIND OF FEAR THOUGH.

IT WAS LIKE A RESPECTFUL, ALMOST REVERENTIAL FEAR.

(I NEVER WANTED TO DO ANYTHING

THAT WOULD HURT HER.)

EVEN THOUGH MAMA WAS VERY STRICT,

I WOULD RATHER GO ON AN OUTING OF ANY KIND,

WITH MAMA, RATHER THAN ANYONE ELSE.

SHE HAD A WAY OF TURNING

EVEN THE MOST DIFFICULT TIMES INTO FUN,

OR IF NOT FUN, AT LEAST AN ADVENTURE

THAT WE WOULDN'T FORGET.

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL WE LIVED IN SOUTH AMERICA,

WHERE MY PARENTS WERE MISSIONARIES.

I CAN REMEMBER, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION,

MAMA CALLED US IN AND SAID,

" GIRLS, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY FOR FOOD TODAY,

SO IF THE LORD DOESN'T SEND US SOME,

WE WILL HAVE TO GO WITHOUT OUR MEALS TODAY.

IF YOU WANT TO EAT, YOU NEED TO HELP ME PRAY

THAT THE LORD WILL SEND US SOME FOOD ."

INVARIABLY, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER,

WE NEVER WENT HUNGRY.

GOD ANSWERED MAMA'S PRAYERS

AND ALSO THE ONES OF HER LITTLE DAUGHTERS

WHO WERE LEARNING HOW TO PRAY LIKE MAMA.

MAMA WAS SO BIG HEARTED!
CHRISTMAS, IN OUR HOME IN SOUTH AMERICA,

WAS QUITE DIFFERENT

FROM WHAT THEY ARE FOR ME NOW.

FOR ONE THING,

THERE WERE FIREWORKS AT CHRISTMAS TIME,

AND WE CELEBRATED IN A BIG WAY!

IT DIDN'T MATTER THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH MONEY,

MAMA ALWAYS MANAGED TO MAKE

THOSE DAYS EXTRA SPECIAL. ON CHRISTMAS EVE,

AFTER A BIG CHRISTMAS PROGRAM AT OUR CHURCH,

(WHICH MAMA ALWAYS DIRECTED)

SHE INVITED A BUNCH OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO OUR HOUSE

AND WE WOULD PILE IN TO OUR OLD,

STUDEBAKER PICKUP TRUCK,

AND MAKE THE ROUNDS WITH BASKETS FULL OF GROCERIES,

WHICH WE WOULD TAKE TO THE HOMES

OF THE MORE UNDERPRIVILEGED,

WHO DID NOT HAVE MUCH FOR THEIR CHRISTMAS DINNER.

IT WAS ON THOSE 'TRIPS'

THAT I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND

THAT, INDEED, IT IS MORE BLESSED

TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE,

AND THE JOY IT BROUGHT WAS GREAT.

WHEN WE HAD FINISHED THE DELIVERIES,

WE WOULD RETURN TO OUR HOME

AND HAVE THE TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS EVE MEAL, TAMALES.

WHEN OUR YOUNG APPETITES WERE TAKEN CARE OF,

WE WOULD BEGIN TO SHOOT OFF

ALL KINDS OF FIREWORKS.

IT WAS LEGAL THERE.

I HAD MORE THAN ONE HOLE MADE

IN MY BRAND NEW CHRISTMAS DRESS,

BECAUSE A 'TOTE' GOT TO IT.

MAMA DIDN'T GET UPSET,

BECAUSE THIS WAS THE MOST SPECIAL TIME OF THE YEAR

AND SHE WAS NOT ABOUT TO PUT A DAMPER ON THE FUN.

WHEN THE NEXT MORNING DAWNED,

THERE WERE TWO OR THREE

(OR IN 'BETTER' YEARS FIVE OR SIX) PRESENTS

UNDER THE TREE FOR ALL OF US.

THERE WERE ALWAYS SOME SMALL,

EXTRA ONES THERE ALSO,

THAT DIDN'T HAVE NAMES ON THEM.

THAT WAS BECAUSE MAMA ALWAYS WRAPPED A SMALL,

INEXPENSIVE, BUT NICE GIFT,

FOR ALL THOSE

THAT WOULD COME TO OUR HOME THAT DAY.

AND THERE WERE MANY,

AS WE ALWAYS HAD A 'Y'ALL COME' PARTY THAT EVENING.

MAMA WAS ALWAYS AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, WHEN DECEMBER 26 ROLLED AROUND,

MAMA WAS TOTALLY EXHAUSTED,

SOMETIMES HAVING TO STAY IN BED FOR 2 OR 3 DAYS

BECAUSE OF ALL THE ENERGY

THAT SHE HAD PUT INTO THE LAST FEW DAYS.

WHEN MAMA STAYED IN BED TO RECUPERATE,

SHE PUT A SIGN ON HER BEDROOM DOOR THAT SAID,

'QUIET, PLEASE!'.

WE KNEW TO HEED TO WHAT THE SIGN SAID.

MAMA HAD SPOKEN.

THE ASTHMA,

THAT MAMA SUFFERED FROM FOR SO MANY YEARS,

DID NOT DAMPEN HER SPIRIT THOUGH.
SHE KEPT RIGHT ON DOING WHAT SHE DID BEST.

BEING A VERY CREATIVE, FUN AND CARING MAMA.

MAMA'S DEATH, TOOK FROM ME,

THE PERSON THAT BOMBARDED HEAVEN,

IN PRAYER FOR ME, THE MOST.

I MISS THAT. HOWEVER, I AM VERY BLESSED.

MY SISTERS HAVE TAKEN UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF,

AND I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR THEM

AND THEIR LOVE AND PRAYERS FOR ME.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MAMA AGAIN.

SHE'S IN HEAVEN TODAY,

BECAUSE SHE LIVED HER LIFE FOR JESUS.

WHEN THE DAY COMES THAT I DIE,

I FULLY EXPECT TO SEE MAMA WAITING FOR ME

AT THE GATES OF HEAVEN, TO WELCOME ME,

BECAUSE I, ALSO LIVE FOR,

AND SERVE THE LORD THAT SHE TAUGHT ME ABOUT.

IN THE MEANTIME, I AM SURE THAT SHE IS

IN THE CENTER OF ALL THE EXCITEMENT OF HEAVEN,

PROBABLY DIRECTING A ' VERY SPECIAL PROGRAM'

AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING GOES - JUST RIGHT.

I WILL ALWAYS BE SO GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR MAMA!