My Mother's Birthday

Today my mother would have been 92.
I think of her a lot, and am grateful for what she gave me. I honor her memory today by publishing part of a letter I sent after her death to her three best friends in Chilton, Wisconsin: Edna (since grade school at First German Lutheran Church in Manitowoc, Wisconsin),
Eleanor (since the 1950's through St. Martin Lutheran Church in Chilton, Wisconsin), and
Gwen (a neighbor since 1950).

Dear Edna, Eleanor, and Gwen, my mother's best friends,

................ Mother's things are gone (much of it taken by us family and integrated into our nests), and her house is sold to Rick Jaeckels. The closing will be around Dec. 6. It is hard for all of us to let go of the family homestead. But one thing that comforts me is that Rick told the realtor, "I gotta have that sign over the back door." That corny sign means a lot to all of us, and it was a warming thought to think that the new owner liked it and plans to keep it up. Made me think this was the right buyer.

It seems to have happened so fast, and it is easy to think--it wasn't fair, it wasn't right. But it was. It was fair and it was right. And it was total blessing for my mother to have been able to walk out of her precious home of 52 years. Having had a rapid leaving of this world into the arms of her Lord and Savior has the down side for us who have to adapt quickly. But for her, it has the blessing of not having to live with suffering the losses of home, independence, mind, and all else that goes with the move out of the family home. Eleanor, you in particular know what I mean much more than I know what I mean.

Whenever I feel upset and shocked at how fast this all went I just remind myself of the blessing it was for Mother. My cousin Carol in England said it so well about the peace I sometimes feel. She said, "There is something comforting, and something that offers a sense of completion, when we know our parents are together again." I know my mother missed Dad a lot. I believe he waited for her, and helped her find her way to where she was going. I know Mother loved Jesus, but she had lived with Dad. She knew the sound of his breathing and his talking, knew his personal habits and ways, knew which section of the newspaper he wanted first, knew which guests on Johnny Carson made him laugh the loudest, knew every inch of his body, and together with him created life. I think that God knew that, for Mother, being with Dad would be heaven and so He sent Dad to be her greeter, with Tom close behind.

I remember for a couple years after Dad died Mother would tell me about dreams she had where she would be driving along and see Dad on the sidewalk. She would pull over and get out, trying to reach him, but people would be in the way and by the time she struggled to the spot, he would be gone.

This time he was there. And there was no struggle. So, I send these thoughts to you three to bind you with me in the grief we all feel, to remember the promise of eternal life, and to recognize that in eternal life we will be reunited with those we love who have gone home before.

Mom told Dad as he died, she promised him, that she would live a good life, close to Jesus, so she could come and be with him in heaven when she died.
I promised her the same.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

November 6, 1915
A special day in my history.
A day God blessed me with a Christian mother.