A Mother’s Place
February 2nd, Groundhog’s Day, was my mother’s birthday. She left this world in 2016, and even though our family still feels the emptiness in our hearts, thinking of her brings a smile to my face.
If you don’t mind, I would love to share some things about her with you.
Ione/Mom was…
Loyal and hard working wife and mother, Ione raised nine children, yet kept the house spotless, helped out in the barn and the fields, and did yard work.
If we had to choose which area of her life she enjoyed most, it would have to be spending time with her children and providing service to others. Humbled, she was definitely one of God’s unselfish and loving servants.
Who was Ione personally…
She loved life…music…dancing…she was a good artist and would draw pictures and hang them in the outhouse to decorate it for our Dad. (Which explains why I don’t remember seeing the pictures after she was done with them.)
She loved nature…walking around and enjoying their farm…cutting the grass…working in her garden…she loved her flowerbeds and their bright vibrant colors were all over the farmyard.
She said that if she hadn’t had such a love for children, she would have become a nun.
As a wife…
Mom was loyal and loving to her husband, and he loved her deeply, but he was also a jealous and controlling man, which made it difficult, at times, for our Mother.
They raised and grew almost all our own food, and every fall, our fruit cellar was full of Mom’s canning: fruits, vegetables, potatoes, and meats.
They raised 9 children, 3 boys and 6 girls, and were blessed with 20 grandchildren and even more great grandchildren to carry on their legacy. With step-grandchildren and step-great grandchildren, that number brings us to about 100 in the immediate family.
Paying it forward…
Mom and Dad started taking in foster children in 1959 and continued to do so intermittently until they were in their 70’s. They made a powerful and positive impact on over 120 foster children’s lives over those years. They truly wanted these children to have a better life and future, and in some cases, it broke our parents’ hearts when the children’s time there expired and they had to leave.
While Mom was in Memory Care, one of the foster children she had taken care of as a little girl was an intern there. She recognized Mom and said she was honored to give back the care that Mom had given to her. It was an amazing blessing for all to see and a picture of the two of them even made the local paper.
A child at heart…
Even though our mother had huge responsibilities, she had the heart of a child until the day she died, and she blessed each of us whenever we had the privilege of seeing that side of her. She had a passion for the Lord and was blessed with Angels that surrounded her and even allowed her to see them in her times of need.
When we were forced to take her off the farm and put her in an assisted living home due to dementia, I stayed with her that first night. The next day I walked her around to get her familiar with her new home. We got to the dining hall and there was Santa. When we discovered he sang and danced, that was all it took to get my Mom dancing. She could never be still if there was music playing.
Mom with the singing and dancing Santa. And there was no alcohol involved.
Matthew 18:1-3 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
I think we all need to learn from my Mom: to do our best to always have the heart of a child and to be good servants.
I would love to hear…
What is your favorite memory of your mother? If you’re lucky enough to still have her in your life…give her a hug for me.
“A Mother is one who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take.” Unknown
Mom at age 15
Essential Oil Choice…
Joy – The aroma of Joy can bring back memories of being loved, being held, and sharing loving times. Helps to ease the feeling of “loss”. May bring feelings of Joy. How to use – Diffuse into the air with a cold air diffuser or apply Topically to ears/brow/temples/heart/wrist and inhale deeply.
