My Mom

I have made pages for my children.  I have a page for me and others for my family.  I even have one for my dad.  But when I was recently doing some editing on his page I realized that I didn't have one for my mom.  I hope you enjoy reading this tribute.  My mom is one of the most important people in my life.

My mother grew up the last of 11 children.  By the time my mom was born she was already an aunt.  Her father was an apostolic minister.  I don't remember too much about him.  My only memory was when he was so ill I saw him in his room being lifter or held by some men.  He died when I was 3. 

My parents married in 1954.  My mom stayed at home to take care of her children, 3 boys and 2 girls, until we were all well into our teens.  That example lasted and I followed it.  It was so wonderful to come home every day and know that she would be there for me. 

If you have already read the story about my dad you must have figured out that her married life wasn't all peaches and cream.  She put up with a lot.  But she kept her faith in God and her love for us strong. 

I remember many times when I would see my mom wearing what would be considered rags to me now.  Her nightgowns nearly always had tears and holes in them.  Rarely did she ever buy any new clothes for herself.  She went without these "luxuries" so that we kids could have the things we want.  About the only time she would get any new clothes was on birthdays or Christmas.  When I look back on it I feel so bad.  But now that I am a mom I can understand why she would do this.  A mother's love will make a perfectly sane woman do insane things.

A few years ago my mom got really sick.  She had been having some pretty serious angina for a while.  One Saturday I got a call at work from my brother.  Mom had been admitted into the hospital with a possible heart attack.  I took off immediately to be with her.  A couple of days later she was moved into the cardiac care unit to wait for open heart surgery.  During tests the doctor had discovered she had three blockages in her heart.  I was so terrified.  The night before the surgery I went to the hospital to sit with her.  I crawled up into her bed and she just held me like she used to when I was little.  I was so afraid that I was going to lose her.  But thanks to a lot of prayers and a wonderful surgeon she made it through with flying colors. 

My mom isn't totally back to her "normal" self.  She does have some residual side effects from the surgery.  Her leg swells horribly where the vein graft was taken from.  And she still has some problems battling infections.  Oh, I forgot to mention that after the surgery she was in the hospital, or a nursing facility rather, for nearly 6 weeks due to a staff infection.  To this day it continues to act up. 

I don't know what I will do when my mom finally does leave this life.  She means everything to me.  The one thing that keeps me going is my knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know, without a doubt, that because of the ordinance of celestial marriage my family be together forever.  I will miss my mom horribly when that day does come but I will cling to my faith and my knowledge that we will together again. 

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