My Mom is my living Angel! She has been and is still the most Influential person in my Life! She is and has always been my example of:
{Galatians 5:22-23}
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Sierra Sue..Everyone calls her Sue "My Mom" is the most;
Humble,Understanding, Compassionate, Loving, Giving, Encouraging, soul on the planet! I have never met to date anyone as Non-self serving and Unselfish as my mom! Her energy is, Alive and Amazing! She has suffered much in her life and never once have I seen her feel sorry for herself! It has been in these times of deepest sorrow and the toughest times of our lives that I have learned my greatest lessons from her! It would take me to write a book to share with you all the lessons I have learned from my mom, and her example, and maybe, God willing, I will ! There is no other word for her than an "Angel"! God is truly AWESOME AND AMAZING, He knew before I was born that I would need a Mom exactly like her! Words cannot express, my Gratitude and Love that I feel for my Mom. There isn't anyone on the planet that I have witnessed God's Spirit work through to teach me the truth about many things, especially Unconditional Love, Transparency, Humility,and Genuineness, than my Mom! She has touched and continues to touch me and others in such an astounding way, you will never leave her presence, in any way but blessed, she makes everyone feel loved, better and uplifted about themselves!! She is a Difference Maker, she may not be "famous" in a worldly sense but definitely has created a ripple effect, and the world has been forever changed, by her Love for Everyone that crosses her path!!! I am having a hard time trying to find words to explain, how incredible she really is!
She was born in Logan, West Virginia, and grew up in Bristol Virginia in the 40's and 50's until her Mom, Dad, and other siblings, (I think there were only 6 children at that time , the other 3 came along after the move, 9 total children) moved to Illinois where she completed and graduated early from High School. Her whole family has high IQ's, and even higher EI's ( emotional intelligence) not something I inherited, Ha! They are all intelligent, but their greatest asset is Love! They are the most humble, grounded people, with phenomenal sense of humors! She comes from the south, where the most loving, caring, people I have met in the world are from! There is nothing like the "southern hospitality" and " southern cookin", anywhere in the world!" My Mom, Shasta, and I took a trip last year to see my Aunt Dee Dee and Uncle Jr. in Virginia, ( I thank God that we went, because my uncle recently passed away and it meant the world to us to spend time with him and my aunt, I love and miss him greatly, they were always huge gardeners and my uncle would let me pick my own watermelon, just for me to eat all by myself!) but every morning we had Homemade biscuits and sausage gravy!! Yes, Homemade, Every morning! The memories that I have spending the night and helping them in the garden are forever with me! I loved picking and snapping green beans for them! They canned everything, and worked hard taking care of their 6 children and loving, everyone! I love my aunt, she is so sweet, with her southern accent, and I love to hear her call me "sugar"! They both are the most loving, and humble people, you will ever meet! I love you Aunt DEE DEE! Everyone of my mom's brothers and sisters are incredible cooks! I know they learned from their Mom and Dad, they both were incredible cooks, too! It wasn't unusual for my Grandma to have a full turkey dinner like at Thanksgiving, for one of the weekly meals!!! Everything is made from scratch and nothing goes to waste, it may go to your Waist, Ha! "the cookin" but nothing gets wasted!
I believe growing up poor financially with a family of 11 teaches you more about the important things in life, than all books combined! I believe they stay Humble because my mom told me recently when we were talking about some issues that in the south growing up they would teach their children from a young age to "Never Forget Your Raisin" (no not the raisin you eat, The way you were brought up, for those who didn't take "Southern Language" as an second language, HA!")My mom was teaching me another valuable lesson!! Always remember where you came from and who made you! If you forget, You will loose your Humility, which leads to the "Pride Before the Fall", She Amazes me the way she teaches through life experiences, this is the way she would teach all of us kids!! Nothing replaces experience! My brothers and I have been tremendously blessed by my mom's experiences, wisdom and love! We also, have been blessed by all of our aunts, uncles and cousins!
Even though her family grew up poor financially, they were wealthy beyond measure with work ethic, experiences, humility, intelligence, character, integrity, humor, and especially love! I have yet to meet a family that sticks together, serves and loves each other like my Mom's family! In all the families I have met in my lifetime, there is not one yet, that even comes close. What a tremendous example that I have been blessed to experience my whole life! They never speak ill of each other and will be there for each other, always! I have never seen any of them fight or argue with each other. It is like right out of a fairy tale. None of them are perfect, they just love each other perfectly!
For example, I mentioned my Uncle Jr. just recently passing away, and my mom drove 800 miles (one way!) by herself to stay with her sister for a month to help her with all she needed emotionally, and all the other needs that have to be taken care of after you loose someone you love. Then my mom's other sister left her vacation to come to my Aunt's to help where my mom left off and to stay for 3 weeks with her! Then I think my uncle is coming next! The love they show by their service is Unbelievable!!! This example, of loving and helping others in need was a common occurrence through-out my life! I remember a friend of my mom's families house burnt down, and immediately, my mom got a hold of all of her sisters, they pulled together to help out with all this families needs! There are so many of these experiences, that I witnessed and was involved in because of my My Mom's HEART is GINORMOUS!! Another, time the neighbor went into the hospital for surgery and she made meals and took to them and their 4 kids! This is such a common practice with my mom, there is no-one in need that she doesn't act on to make their lives better, it was just apart of our lives, by her example, we learned "Charity" in all forms! Unconditional Giving is synonymous to my Mom! I have been Unbelievably blessed through her example! Every time I talk to her she is doing something for someone, that is sick or hurting! She is Unbelievable and an Inspiration to All! She taught the most important things in life, not by telling us, it was by Showing us! How powerful!
There is no-one better for understanding what someone goes through when they loose someone they love than my mom!
My mom was left a widow at the age of 25, with 3 children ages 3, 4, and 6. She would have had 4 children, 3,4,5,6 but my sister died on my mom's birthday; she lived less than a day. Like that wasn't enough sorrow. My dad was killed in a car wreck, which left my mom to raise me and my 2 brothers, alone. Although we were surrounded by love from both sides of the family, my mom was left with then, the responsibility of raising her children by herself. I don't remember how my mom suffered through this (I was only 3) and couldn't even begin to explain how difficult this must have been for my mom, only those that have experienced the loss of their spouse, truly know. She later met and married my dad now, who is also a blessing in our lives and is the most generous man I know! They, then had my little brother, Scotty. My Mom, has an incredible zest, enthusiasm and love for life, her family, and people, that would amaze you, I mean AMAZE, you !! She doesn't allow anyone or herself to feel sorry for her, it's because she has a deep spiritual understanding of the truth!
She knows no stranger, she views everyone as family, the moment you meet her, you feel like you have known her your whole life! One of the things that truly amazes me about my mom, is her people skills! She loves and values all. She applies everything I've read in books, and more, NATURALLY, it is Astounding. Her uncanny ability to pick up on someones real issue is totally amazing to me!! She used to service 1000 clients, herself, in the insurance business, and would know all these people and their policies most of the time without opening their files, Not Kidding, I have never seen anyone remember everything that was important to them, like their children's names, what they did, where they lived! Unbelievable! Everywhere I went with her she would know someone! I would be in total amazement, everyone became her family and friend! She was "teaching me again" when she shared with me about a client, that came into her office very disgruntle about something to do with insurance, Mom listened carefully to her, and before she left, this person was crying telling my mom about some real serious issues that had nothing to do with insurance, and I know this person felt better after she left, because that is what my mom does best! It is her natural ability to help other hurting people, by caring for them and wanting to help, truly AMAZING, another lessened learned!
Right before my little brother was born, my mom lost her dad (my grandpa), which was my first experience with a military funeral, it was beyond description of the emotions I felt listening to the guns and "taps" that were played. At this point I was old enough to witness, the strength of my mom, and her perspective, in another moment of great sadness, losing her father. She is an amazing rock, and deeply understands life and death! Four years later, she lost my middle brother, Todd in a car wreck, whom we all miss dearly, he was 15 yrs old, a sophomore in High School. I remember the principle of the high school, let the entire school out with an excused absent for all to come to my brothers funeral. My brothers both were in the same grade and had a lot of friends. I already knew my mom was amazing, but this became a whole other level of understanding for me at how unbelievable she is!!! She and my Dad stood for hours at the funeral home, consoling all of these High School kids, adults, my brothers and I! It was pure love in motion, words cannot describe, what strength and love of God that poured out of my mom and dad, serving others, when it was her son, that she lost!!!! It was one of the truest and most powerful moments of my young life, (I was 13), a very spiritual lesson being revealed to me through my mom and dad that day, I started really getting it. That through giving of yourself, and serving others, you serve and honor God. It is the highest form of spirituality in life! It is where you truly honor and glorify God! My mom would always tell me that the time to cry is at a birth and death is a celebration! She never mocks anything, SHE LIVES IT! Through giving of yourself, even in the times of your deepest sorrow and pain, you heal yourself! I felt incredibly enlightened, and my mom became more than a hero to me that day! She never lost her, zest, enthusiasm and love for life, serving her family, friends and people, there is no other way to describe her but as an "ANGEL," she is the most inspiring human being I have ever met!
A few years later we found ourselves again, at another funeral, this time (my uncle Bill's what an incredible brilliant and loving man!), my mom's brother. He had served in the armed forces, and was honored with a military burial too, words cannot describe, but it is one of the most moving, deepest feeling of sadness and respect, when the guns are shot off and they play the "taps", the same feelings I had at my grandpa's, military funeral. I witnessed my mom's servant love in action again, repeating and reminding me that no matter how deep the sadness, you continue to love and serve! She is AMAZING!
This seems unbelievable, I know, but tragedy, hit our lives again, when my youngest brother Scotty, was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1995. It does make a person wonder how so much tragedy can hit one family, but we don't have all those answers, there are some things only God knows. Put our trust there! My Mom and Dad once again showed their amazing love and strength to my brother, Mark and I during this time of Great Sadness. We all love Scotty, and miss him greatly! I definitely need to write a book! It is true, we have all had immense pain and suffering, and have felt like "Job", but my brother Mark and I have had the greatest examples of Love, Strength, and Faith, (my Angels, our Mom and Dad)! There is no-one else in all the world, that has given us, the most valuable examples to live by! I miss my brothers, grandparents, uncles, cousins and all the friends we have lost here, and many more that followed even my little brother, Scotty's death. We had 3 sets of grandparents that have all passed away, had 2 cousins pass away since, one was 14 months old and the 15 years old, my brothers best friend, committed suicide. We have experienced, it seems every kind of loss, but yet we all feel blessed, it is all part of our journey and a part of God's plan and only He knows all, and what is best for our lives. My Mom could have climbed in a hole, and forgot about others, but she is the BEST example of someone who has choose to Make the world a better place in spite of what happens!!!We miss them all deeply, but I am Grateful for the time we had with them, and it has made us who we are. I will never loose my faith in God, I may not understand a lot of things, but this I know; There is Faith, Hope, and Love, and the Greatest of these is Love, because of my Mom's INCREDIBLE EXAMPLE! I have never seen my Mom claim the "victim", she has taught me that by example! If anyone would, you might think, she would cave in, but not my mom! Playing victim, is not something she has a lot of tolerance for!I have had many people through out my life ask me "How does your Mom Do It?" I cannot answer that, I only have the example, of her truth by the way she lives! There isn't anyone that holds a candle to her! She is the brightest light, that shines on everyone, everywhere she goes! These events have taught me another lesson, that the things of the world carry no weight, it is how much you love and our loved, and your service to others for God's glory, while your are here that matters, your treasures in heaven, eternity, is what to focus on! So, don't waist your time chasing vain things or worrying about things you think you need to control, God takes care of all that! You are fooling yourself, if you think you control people or things!
My Mom has taught and displayed values and morals that will last with me my lifetime!
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. {Proverbs 22:6}
There is not much that disturbs my mom more, and I know she detests; and that is Hypocrisy, especially if you use God.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. {Matthew 23:27}
I have learned many valuable lessons from my Mom, and as I said before it would take a book to share them. I love it that God knows exactly what we will need before we were even born. I will Love, Honor and Cherish my Mom and all she has taught me all the days of my life! She is the brightest light of love, I know, and am so Thankful, God picked her to be my MOM! Thank You for never losing your zest, enthusiasm, and love for Life! Thank You for always loving me, even when I was unlovable! Thank You for Teaching me by example, and living what you teach! Thank you for believing in me and teaching me to trust my inner voice!! Thank You for sacrificing your wants to Be the example for us! You have been my greatest teacher of Truth and Love!
I Love you with all my Heart, Mom! Thank You, for all you have given and taught me! I will forever be Grateful to you! Thank You for being an incredible Grandma as You have been an incredible Mom and Mom-in-Law to John, he loves you, too! My Hope and Prayer is that I can give back to You, Dad, John, our children, friends and family and to the world all that has been given to me! I will carry your love through this world, and into eternity! Thank you for all the great recipes and being there for me when we needed you most!
My Angel, My Mom, You are the BEST! You have been my Greatest Inspiration! You have Inspired Me, to want to make the world a better place, through Truth and Love! The World is forever altered because of Your Unconditional Love, Acceptance, and Willingness to Give the Best part of You to Everyone!
THANK YOU!
Live Life Inspired, Live Life Free and Full of Love!!!
I Love You,
Melanie
1 comment:
I love the way you love......
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