Mother Memory #1

We had moved in the middle of my high school years. I went from so many friends, school activities, church involvement, and much more to...nothing. And no matter what I worked on that summer, I began the school year very much alone. Unfortunately I got swept up into the wrong crowd, and it was almost 2 months before the Lord truly blessed me to get out of that situation. My attempts at school activities sadly worked in reverse, and I was supposed to get a job.

My parents took pity on my desperate situation, and when I landed a lead role in the musical, they extended my time for when I would need to obtain employment. The two months being part of the musical proved a great blessing. I finally made friends and began to feel a part of the school. Yet the close of those two fantastic months approached. The day of our last performance was not only difficult because of the impending job that would take me away from the new friendships I was forming, but also brought some sad news within the family that struck down much too deeply. I cried so much on Closing Night. And the pain was not much eased the following day as I readied for church.

Mom was very sick that morning. She was not able to go to church, and it was up to me to get "the boys" ready and off. I stopped by Mom's room just before we left. In her extremely weary, sickened state, she still could see the pain I was in. She sensed the hurting that coursed through me. And she tenderly asked, "Do you need a hug?" It meant so much to me to have that hug. And to hear her reassure me that she was aware of what I was going through, and to offer words of comfort.

That time in her room before I had to leave was probably no more than 2 minutes. But it is one of the most precious memories I have of my mother. My poor mother ended up with a very emotional daughter, and at that point we still did not know any of the medical causes we would find out a few months later. But at that time, my mother knew exactly how I was feeling, and knew exactly what to do to help and comfort me. It was the beginning of more than a decade of countless "unaccountably emotional" times she would endure with me and strengthen me throughout.