A Mother's Heart...

A package arrived in the mail last Saturday...

I had been expecting it...

You see, about 2 weeks after

we laid mama to rest...

My dad came down with pneumonia 

and has been in the hospital ever since.

My oldest sister had come for a visit

last weekend and had accidentally gone home

with the clothes and the watch that my dad was wearing 

when he was brought to the hospital...

She had called me to tell me that she was

sending them back to me...

And hoped that the watch would still be ticking!

To be honest..
I was trying hard not to dwell too much
on that fact that the next day was Mother's day...
But to keep my focus on helping my father...

When we picked up the mail..
I found that my sister had sent not one,
but two, packages...
A larger one for dad...
And a smaller one for me.

Didn't she do a fine job!

Inside was a note,
A small box,
and two potholders she had just finished...
 Her first attempt at paper piecing!

 When I opened the box
All the emotions I had been holding inside
 for weeks came pouring out...

For inside I found this beautiful necklace...
Fashioned from my mama's
engagement ring and wedding ring...

The perfect "Mother's Day" gift...

  I love you and miss you, mama...
With all my heart...

  ^"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you..."
Philippians 1:3

"Hats Off" To My Inspiration...

Once a month,

Usually on a Thursday morning...

My 93 year old parents would eat their breakfast

 and  then head for the hospital...

Dad...to the coumadin clinic

to get his blood checked...

And mama...to the maternity ward...

To deliver more knitted hats.

You see, mama loved to

knit sweet little hats 

for all the newborn babies...

And even at 93 years old...

she could finish a hat a day

most days...

Two weeks ago today...

after a brief illness...

Mama went home to be with the Lord...

Perhaps...at another time...

I will write more about this incredible lady...

whose smile lit up my whole world...

But for now...the hurt is too close...

Dad gave me mama's knitting bag...

The one I had made for her years ago...

Inside was the last infant hat she was working on...

So...how could I not honor this amazing woman

who taught me so much...

except to pick up her stitches

and carry on her tradition...

"Her children arise up, and call her blessed; 

her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Many daughters have done virtuously,

 but thou excellest them all..."

Proverbs 31: 28-29 

The oldest and the youngest...

Because We're Family...

Yesterday...

A beautiful morning in the harbor...

Just the perfect day for an overnight trip...

to attend a girls' high school basketball game...

Joshua and Daniel arose early

and set out on their 6 + hour journey

across two states...

Why, you ask???

Because we're family.

My grandniece, Hannah,

was playing in the Vermont 

Girls' Basketball High School 

Championship game...

Hannah is in green...she's a point guard...

Her dad, Shawn, is the coach...

And Josh and Dan wanted to be there...

The opposing team was an amazing group 

of young ladies...

They had not lost a game in the past 4 years

including the state championships...

 

Hannah's team was ranked #10 

at the end of the season 

with 11 wins and 11 losses...

Just to make it this far

was an incredible accomplishment

for these determined young ladies...

And Joshua and Daniel had to be there

to support and encourage their cousin...

Joshua, cousin Noah, and Daniel...Comet Strong!

Because that's what families do...

How important is it for us to remember, however,

that although we belong to a biological family

that we should love and support...

Those of us who profess the name of Christ

as our Lord and Saviour

also belong to another family...

And we need to be there for that family

as well...

There are so many wonderful ways

we can support our other "family"...

A meal for someone feeling poorly...

Help with a project around the home...

A visit to someone who lives alone...

and most importantly...

keeping family members in our  daily prayers...

Hannah's team played an incredible game...

And were proud to accept the 2nd place trophy...

Because they had played "as a family..." 

 " As we have therefore opportunity, 

let us do good unto all men, 

especially unto them who are of the household of faith..."

Galatians 6:10