Proverbs 31 Mother

 April, 27, 2012

I have just been reaquainted with a great little book that I received back in 1995 as a Christmas gift. It is called "Silver Boxes" the Gift of Encouragement by Florence Littauer. If you have not read it, I encourage you to go get you a copy. It will fill your heart and soul with ways to give silver boxes of encouragement to others..One chapter "thought" was talking about how" Mothers do a decent job of raising their children without ever hearing a silver box of praise. The Proverbs 31 mother had children who rose up and called her blessed, and some of us wondered where she found those children."! The author tells how her daughter had volunteered to write the opening and closing of her book. In her words, she talks about how thankful she was that her mother told her that she was special and encouraged her. She appreciated all the times her mother had listened to her broken dreams and incessant chatter and in closing, said how much she appreciated the prayers, for making her what she was today.  What special words for a Mother to hear....As Mother Day`s is drawing close again, for the second time since our Mother went to Heaven, it makes me reflect, as I often do, about  her and what I told her. She knew how much we all loved her. We told her all the time, especially those last months, but had I ever told her why I loved her so much? Why hadn`t I thought of writing her a letter to let her know? Why did I miss that opportunity, that silver box that I could have given her?  I have no doubt that she knew what she meant to all of us, to me.... but if I had one more chance to tell her...... This is what I would say...

Dear Mother,I have thought about you so much today and found a new meaning of your" mothering" to me. I am who I am because of who you were. I am because you taught me to be. I am, because you showed me how to be....  because you cared enough, you loved enough to teach me and to  show me  by example.  As I am a mother and now a grandmother, I get it all. I get it when you taught me to say yes ma`am and no ma`am. I get it when you taught me to be respectful of others, to love others, to go out of your way for others, to show God`s love to others. I get it when you would always take food to sick friends, always send cards to let people know you were thinking about them. I get it when you would not think of how tired you were and only take care of those who needed you.As I cook a meal, I am reminded of how many meals we cooked together while I was growing up. When I make a cake, I am reminded how you made it fun to cook cakes and we took turns scrapping the wax paper of the cake that stuck on there to lick. I am reminded of the caramel cake we made that tore apart when we iced it, but you said that it would still taste good and your were right! Thank you for sharing your love of cooking with me, all of your recipes you passed to me...As I sew something, I am reminded how you bought me my first Singer Sewing  machine when I was in high school and taught me how to cut out a pattern and make something on my own. I am reminded how you helped make all of my bridesmaids dresses when I married, how you helped me make all my honeymoon outfits to take with me ..... How you always made us new outfits for Christmas, how you stayed up late when we were little to make a wardrobe for our new dolls that we got for Christmas. I am reminded how you loved to sew with lace and all the lace pillows and pin cushions you would make to give away. Thank you for that special love of lace that you passed to me. I think of you when I see some pretty lace and wonder what I can make from it. As I pull out your old sewing basket, I am reminded of all the sewing projects we did together. Thank  you for teaching me how to use my hands, for showing me how to crochet and knit. Thank you for your love of crafts that you passed to me. How I would love to go to  those day after Christmas sales at Importers Warehouse, were we would stock up on craft items at 75% off. Those were the days, shopping then eating at Ollies next door.As I sing to Heston, and remember singing to my children., I am reminded of how you sang to us and then to our children. Thank you for those good times around the piano when we would gather and sing. Music lessons you would make us go to, even those practices we hated, I thank you for. You gave us the love of music and the piano. "Lovely Moon" will always be remembered to all who heard you sing it to us!You always showed such good taste, even when you didn`t have the money to buy the new, pretty things, you always provided with things you would make and they were so much more meaningful to us. We always felt like we were so well dressed and it was because of you, not buying for yourself, but doing for us.  God made you so special, I could never have asked for a better Mother.I thank you most of all for providing a christian home for us to grow up in. You always had God`s love shining in you..You didn`t just talk the talk but you walked out what you taught us. You and Daddy were such  strong Christian role models for us, and I thank you for that... Thank you for getting us to church each time the doors were open. thank you for sending me to GA`s to learn the books of the Bible, for all the vacation bible schools you took us to.... I was blessed beyond words with so many of your Silver boxes that you daily handed out. Thank you for being my Mother....I love you,JaneYes, If I had the opportunity to write her a letter, just one more time, that is what I would have said.... I have to think she already knows it all, but if I could. only do it....Thank you Lord, for my Mother, you gave me all those years ago..Have a great day!!Love,