My mother's words

 My parents came to live with me in 2005.

That meant they brought all of their possessions - from kitchen to bath things to the keepsakes they had accumulated in what was at that time 63 years. From that time until today some items have been passed to family members and some stayed with her from here to Texas in 2013 and back in 2015 when she moved to Assisted Living and then to full-time health care in 2019.  

And some things stayed right here in my home.  

So as of late, I've spent some time determining - what to keep and what to toss, and what might someone who loved her enjoy.

This is not an easy task.

However - this is not so much about the things - It's about her journals (and I know a journal is a thing).

And it's more about the words that are in those journals and in the many Bibles that she had  

The night that my mother died, one of her great-granddaughters opened the Bible that was by the bed. It’s probably difficult to read her words: 

"where Earl is".

Thirteen years ago, when our daddy was dying, Rev. Kevin Pound had personalized Psalm 23 as he prayed. I remember that his words were that Earl was going to "dwell in the house of the Lord forever". 

Mother had those words inscribed on daddy's marker at Greenlawn. And now she has joined him.

Some time ago she told me that one day I would be happy that I have her journals. And every now and then I'll pick one up and thumb through it. I'm sure that as the days turn into months and years, I will appreciate the fact that I can read what she wrote.

Of course, words are very important to me. I have binder after binder that include my words. 

I kept thinking about the words "Write this down" and when I googled them, I found a George Strait song. Now I love to hear him sing and I even like that song, but I was 'trying to be 'spiritual'. So, I changed the search - Bible verses that tell us to write things down.

Found them. In the book of Numbers, Moses was commanded to write the stages of the journey of the Israelites as they were 'bound for the promised land'. Later it is recorded in Jeremiah that he was commanded to write what he had heard, and the Apostle John was told to write what he saw (Revelation 1:19).

My mother’s words - I'm happy to have them. The words in Scripture - I appreciate   My children are going to find volumes of my words. And now if I can just get my friend to let me put his words in print. 

May your life have enough sunshine   

To make you appreciate the shadows