May 1 – “That’s My Mom”

Whew.  I’m kind of glad to be writing the name of a new month this morning.  It has really been a long April.  The services for celebrating Mom’s life yesterday went really well.  Even more folks than came to the viewing, so I would say we probably have quite a few full pages in the guest book.  Several more fire fighters were there, along with the chief and assistant chief.  The chief even wore his full dress uniform.  Mom would have gotten a kick out of that.  Each of Mom’s grandchildren had a part in the service.  Tim led everything off by playing some music on his guitar.  Kel and Josh each read a Scripture and prayed.  Becky read the obituary.  Serena read scripture.  Amy led in the Lord’s Prayer, and Nathan led in the 23^rd Psalm.  All of them did a tremendous job.  The great-grandkids kind of surprised everybody when they all joined me on the floor at the front of the room for a rousing rendition of “Jesus Loves Me.”  One of my personal favorite poignant moments came when Micah joined in to help the pall bearers carry the casket to the hearse.  Very sweet picture. 

Rather than rehash the whole rest of the service, I thought I’d include my top ten “That’s My Mom” moments today:

10.  Mom spent many anniversaries watching me play baseball (That’s the problem with a June anniversary in Galveston.  It’s baseball season).  It was sure good to look up into the stands and see her sitting there.  That’s my Mom.

9.  Mom was incredibly supportive of my addiction to all things baseball.  She didn’t even throw away my baseball cards when I went to college.  I have quite the collection now because of her.  Of course the support didn’t help my skill level any.  She did everything she could think of to help me, though.  Especially with my hitting.  Or lack thereof.  She even tried bribing me.  Offered me five dollars for every home run I hit.  Now that’s really generous for 1963.  I looked it up.  $5 in 1963 would be equal to something like $38 now.  Of course from their perspective I guess it was a pretty safe bet.  They sure never had to pay off on that one.  That’s my Mom.

8.  Realizing that the bribe wasn’t going to work, Mom decided to take a different approach.  Hands on practice time at home.  She and I went into the garage with a wiffle ball and bat.  She decided she would pitch to me so I could get in a few extra swings.  Again, with my batting average, I’m sure she felt like she was perfectly safe.  And of course the unthinkable happened.  I actually connected with one.  Beautiful line drive.  Smacked her right in the eye.  She had a big old shiner for weeks.  That’s my Mom.

7.  When I left the Episcopal church to become a Baptist.  She was totally supportive.  Just asked one thing of me.  “You tell the priest.”  I figured that would never happen.  Until he drove up that very afternoon.  He had never been to our house before.  Why today?  Mom answered the door and said, “Hi!  Kelley has been wanting to talk to you.”  And she left the room.  That’s my Mom. 

6.  She went on vacation with us one year.  We went up to the Dakotas, then across to Washington State, down through California, and back across to Texas.  Mom started that trip with an awestruck “Look at the mountains.  Oh, my aching back” as we drove through … Oklahoma (yep.  Oklahoma.  But remember, she never left the island much).  Things changed a bit when we drove through the switchbacks on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains.   As she held on with a death grip to the headrest of the driver’s seat, she not-so-calmly commented over and over, “Oh my aching back!  Look at that!  Not you, Kelley.  You look at the road.” Followed by an abrupt Gibbs slap to the back of my head.  That’s my Mom.

5.  She really enjoyed coming out to Seaside Church where I am pastor.  Not so much to hear me preach or anything like that.  She just loved being the consummate hostess - introducing herself to people and proudly telling them “I’m the pastor’s mother.”  That’s my Mom.

4.  I always looked forward to Halloween in Gulf Village.  The homeowners would often dress up themselves to greet the kids and give them some candy.  And Mom was always one of the first ones out on the front porch, always dressed up in her witch hat and black robe, sometimes with a strap-on hag nose.  Now we live in the house across the street from the one I grew up in there in Gulf Village.  Halloween is still the same.  And to this day, we get adults who grew up in the area who come by the house asking, “Where is that witch who was always out across the street?”  And I proudly answer, “That’s my Mom.”

3.  Mom was a collector.  She lost a lot of her collection in Hurricane Ike, but I remember some of her collections.  How about the Siamese cats?  She had figurines of all shapes and sizes of Siamese cats.  When she got tired of that project she switched to frogs for some reason.  Stuffed frogs.  Ceramic frogs.  Frogs that talked.  I remember those frogs she crocheted.  Anybody get one of those?  She could crochet almost anything.  And most of what she crocheted, she gave away.  We still have Christmas ornaments that she made – Big Bird, Ernie, Cookie Monster.  Mom enjoyed just making people happy, didn’t she?  That’s my Mom. 

2.  When we got her to the hospital and she was finally admitted, she asked for only 3 things: her purse (which we assured her we would take care of), her clip-on sunglasses, and her purple stocking cap.  And she wore them.  She was the hit of the ICU.  That’s my Mom.

1.  I have to say that the number one Mom moment for me happened when I was a senior in high school.  I was going with the Baptists on a trip they were taking so I could hang out with my girlfriend.  Mom took me to the church.  I asked where my girlfriend was and found out she wasn’t coming.  I walked to car and told Mom I wouldn’t be going after all because Debbie wasn’t coming.  She smiled sweetly … and drove off.  That’s the weekend I discovered that God loved me personally.  Changed my life.  That’s my Mom. 

Psalms 100:1-2 says, “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”

Father, thank you once again for all the expressions of love we experienced yesterday.  People driving all the way from Arlington just to say they love us and they understand.  Wow.  You have done some amazing things in people.  Keep on blessing them.  Amen.