An Open Letter to Mom on Her 87th Birthday

(Instructions for Mom: 

Click on the blue title in the email so you can read this online.  It is much more fun!)

Dear Ada Jane,
That chubby little girl you were holding when you were 30 years old -- 57 years ago -- your baby -- the one who is hiding behind the dimpled hand...she will always be grateful for your youthful, energetic, exuberant, smart, faithful, resourceful, clean, cheerful, positive, generous, loving, and God-fearing example of what a woman can do with her life.

(Don't pay any attention when she is a  teenager and says nasty things to you.  She will grow out of that stage, I promise.) 

Today you are eighty-seven!  Happy Birthday!   

Sometime soon, could you please carve a few hours out of your busy schedule, you know:  the mile-long walks, the paper route, the dog training, the computer teaching, and Bible study leading, the teaching of open-hearted 3rd graders at church, the managing of a household and garden...could you please save a few hours to tell your "little darling" the stories of your youth?

Oh, please say yes!

You see, I only know a few of your memories.

I know about the time you were late to school; I think you were about 5 or 6...were you playing with a kitten?  You told your teacher that you had, "run into a dear old friend."  Now that phrase sounds a lot like my grandmother.  Do you think she laughed when the teacher told her about your.... ahem.... 'excuse?' I need to hear more of this story of long ago, when children of this age could walk safely to school.

And your memories of walking home in your teens on wintry evenings, feeling warmed by the light your mother left for you in the window. Please tell me more about the house where you grew up and the people who lived there. 

I remember hearing about your "friend of 40 years," a term you coined that made me want one too.  What did you and she do together all those years? 

These things 

I simply MUST find out!

Will you write them, or shall I?

Oh, here's your birthday present.

You told us not to buy you anything because you have more stuff than you need and don't want more. But you liked this photograph, and so do I.  Since you are a computer wiz, I know you know how to save it to a file. I like the photo at the end of this post, even better.  

~Blessings from your 

"darling daughter."

P.S.  I think Downton Abby, season 3 is over now, but maybe we should also talk about a better time for me to call on Sundays. ;)

Other posts about my mom.
Because of Mom, I
Don't You Dare Leave This World Without Reading This

Watching rain, your last night at the cabin

I'm sharing this post today on 5 Minute Friday, as the topic just happened to be Moms