It's Mother's Day weekend and I feel compelled to tell you about my very own unsung hero.She has been my biggest fan since I was born.She has put more rollers in my hair than you can shake a stick at.She has given me enough perms to change the DNA in my brain.She has critiqued thousands of outfits as I was walking out the door,never missing the chance to help me perfect said outfit.She has helped me lose millions of unwanted pounds over the years.She has advised me on bad haircuts and useless ex-boyfriends.Many of these things are probably all things most of you can relate to with your own momma.So I will move on to the good stuff, to the stuff that formed who and what I am,the stuff that I think about everyday of my life,the stuff I am so very thankful she took time to teach me.
My parents have been married 60-plus years.At this point you would expect me to say that there were rocky years involved but that wouldn't be true.There were NO rocky years. All of their years have been filled with a love that had no boundaries.And as a girl growing up I watched very carefully HOW my momma loved my daddy and HOW she loved us 4 girls.
There were no favorites where my momma was concerned. I was the youngest of 4 girls.We are very similar yet also very different.My momma used to say that and I believed her. She always knew what each of us needed to thrive and succeed.She encouraged every endeavor we ever undertook.(even my sister trying her hand at the cello.)She would make each of us feel as tho we were the best thing since sliced bread. When I was still too little to go to school I spent my days alone with my momma. I loved it!When you come from a family of 6... alone time with your parents was a wonderful thing. We would eat tomato soup for lunch and watch "As The World Turns". I thought those people were real. I kinda think my momma did too.We would watch on the edge of our seats. As soon as the credits would roll momma would say "That show is so silly. I really don't know why I watch it." But the very next day we would watch it again. I didn't care tho, cause it meant time spent with her.
Momma taught us so much about taking care of who we loved. Everyday my dad would come home at 5:45.At 5:00 she would change her clothes, straighten her hair and then proceed to round all of us up to do the same.She would tell us how we needed to look nice for daddy cause he worked so hard.She was right, he DID work so hard.She was HIS number one fan and he was hers. (still is...) She glowed when he came through the door and he would sweep her up in his arms and kiss her with a wonderful kiss. The kind that you remember even as an adult. He would tease with her and love on her in front of us. He respected her way of keeping the house and how she cared for us.He was crazy about her and she was crazy about him. And when he would get home, dinner was always ready and 4 little girls were ready as well. Ready to worship and adore their daddy.We knew what dad did and how hard he worked and momma never missed a chance to tell us how important he was to her.They laughed alot and she ALWAYS asked how work was at the end of the day. She respected all of his decisions and he was the head of our home. Momma knew her Bible and I often heard her and daddy reading together in the evening or morning when they had quiet time. It is still a sweet site to see them continuing that same practice to this day.
I'm sure you are wondering the point of all these memories.Watching mom live her everyday life with my dad and our family I learned alot.I learned that her relationship with the Lord was the most important relationship she had.She was devoted to my dad. Actually devoted is probably somewhat of an understatement.She was never more happy than when he was (and still is) at her side.She was never more proud than when the 4 of us girls sang.She would practice us for hours. If it was worth doing then it was worth doing well! She would take great pride in being asked if we could sing somewhere.We knew how proud of us she was because she would tell us so.She knew every single insecurity each of us had and had a way of encouraging us BEYOND those insecurities.She was proud of every endeavor we tried.She laughed when it would have been easier to cry.In fact one of her favorite sayings (especially after an exceptionally painful break-up and there were many) was "Someday you'll laugh about this," I can remember thinking "is she kidding?" But she was right. Granted it might have been a year or two or more but laughing was always the best medicine. In fact...there was ALWAYS alot of laughter in our home. She taught me that no matter the situaion or delimma...you should pray. Pray about everything. Not just the big things but the most minute things as well. She would say "If you learn to pray about the littlest things then you will always pray about the big things.Don't ever doubt that the Lord cares about every detail of your life." I don't doubt it in the least, not now,not ever.
I guess you get the drift of things here.Please know that I KNOW how blessed I have been and am. I know that from the beginning of time the Lord knew that only Norma Frances Elizabeth Holsapple Clark could raise me,encourage me, teach me, love me, discipline me,show me how to love a husband,how to be devoted to the Lord,teach me songs that only a momma could know,laugh until my sides hurt,always cook for more people than you expect,make sure your door is always open,be an amazing grandma (mimi) because the rules are always more fun with "Annie" than anyone else, have p.j. parties after the age of 70,dance on the table if you feel like it singing "I'm too sexy for my nightgown...", cry when your daughter needs you to mourn with her,rejoice when a grandchild figures out that they "want Jesus in their heart" and need to talk to grandpa....and so on and so on.
There are no words to say thank you enough to my momma. She has loved me through thick and thin,laughter and unbearable sorrow and everyday life as we know it.She has and will always be my very own unsung hero. Cause a true hero will never toot her own horn.That's for me to do. I love you momma. You are irreplaceable.You are a precious gift that I treasure everyday. Thank you for teaching me when you didn't know you were.The lessons I learned are timeless.I can only hope that someday....my kids will say "mom was so much like Annie." Now THAT would be the highest compliment i could ever recieve. And that's what I've learned along the way......Happy Mother's Day everyone.
