Franny, Aunt Molly, Jacob, Me & Nick on a windy day in March 1994.
A dear friend of mine lost her mom yesterday. Having lost my own mother in 2011, I know the road ahead will be difficult. Although it's been several years now, I still feel the loss and wish I could just pick up the phone and call her and talk about—well anything!
No matter how inconsequential the topic matter of the phone call was, Franny would put whatever she was doing on hold to take calls from her family. I laugh when I remember one time when I called, my Bob Dad answered the phone. "It's Monica!" he yelled laughingly to my mom. "She has a thought!"
Here are some of the things I used to call my mother about:
* Special Laundry Problems - Now, this could be anything from how to get a stain out of something to asking if she'd sew a button on for me. (I hate to sew and she'd always reluctantly agree to do it)
* Cooking Challenges - LOTS of these! Like when I left the hamburger meat on the sink to thaw and wondered if it was still safe to feed my kids, hard-boiled eggs that wouldn't come out of their shells, divinity fudge that wouldn't set so I put it in ice trays and froze it (it never set), the chili I made that no one would eat because I accidentally used cinnamon instead of cumin . . . and the cooking list goes on!
* Yard Challenges - Like, is it too soon to plant petunias or pansies (I tend to always jump the gun on this and often my plants freeze or wither in the heat because I've put them in too early.
* Exercising- Franny and I used to live on the same street. (my husband wasn't too crazy about this, but it all worked out okay!) It was not uncommon for me to call her and ask what time she wanted to go for a walk. Sometimes we would debate long enough to talk ourselves out of going for a walk!
* Kids - things like: Why are my kids not eating what I cook for them? (likely the cinnamon in the chili) What's the best way to get them to sleep? etc.
The fact is, Franny was not just a great sounding board, she was the Encyclopedia Brittanica and Google combined— always accessible with one quick phone call!
Franny was always my biggest cheerleader. I'm so blessed to have had a strong woman who was always in my corner. She delighted in her family—not just her three daughters but all of her grandchildren and their kids. In regard to the books I've written, I know she'd also be proud of me for sticking to it. I'd told her years ago that I wanted to write a book and she encouraged me to do so. It makes me sad that she's not here to see that dream become a reality.
That being said, it brings me back to the subject line of this post. The reason I don't believe Franny is looking down on me from Heaven is because I think that once you get there, you don't have to think about things going on "down here" anymore!
Think about it. In Revelation 21:4 it says:
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
What kind of place would Heaven be if our loved ones had to look down and see the suffering and the crazy things going on down here? That doesn't sound like Heaven to me, in fact, it sounds pretty horrible. I wouldn't want my sweet Franny watching me struggle to get the hard-boiled eggs out of their shells or listen in as I argued with one of my kids about today's politics. And what about today when due to "social distancing," I couldn't even hug a friend who'd just lost her mom? It just doesn't sound like what God has in mind for us!
No, I believe that once you enter the Heavenly Kingdom (where I know my precious momma resides), you have that sweet peace that passes understanding and no more cares or worries.
So, while it's kind when people tell me, "Your mom is smiling down from heaven at you!", I don't take offense. I understand it's just their way of telling me that she'd be proud and I get it. Some day we'll be reunited and I'll fill her in on all the crazy things that have gone on the world since she left it—or maybe I won't.
Perhaps when I reach the pearly gates, I'll throw myself into Franny's arms and we'll walk together down the streets of gold.
And now . . . formerly referred to as Closet ClotheSure, I give you "What I Would Have Worn To Work!"
Here's another line-up for the workweek that will still be—just a wee bit different than how we started out!
Note: Although I'm workin' from home, I still get up every day and "put my face on." Sometimes I even throw on one of the outfits from The Challenge. Remember the rules:
I must wear everything in my closets without repeats
Anything that doesn't make me feel like a ten gets donated
No new clothing purchase in 2020 until after the challenge
I'll update everyone later this week. This challenge continues to amuse (and somewhat) annoy me as it is time-consuming and a little tedious, BUT! I have gotten rid of a number of things that I definitely don't need anymore. Hint! There are two things going bye-bye this week. Can you guess which ones?
And lastly, a special, flowering vine from my garden (thought this dude was a goner, but it came back!)
Stay kind, everyone—remember: God is in control and hope is on the move!
Love,
Monica
Dedicated to Franny:
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