She babysits when I need to take a kid to the doctor. I'm sure there are times when it isn't the most convenient for her or she'd rather work on her projects, but she helps me instead.
She babysits when I need a "free day" or I need to get a bunch of things done without kids in tow. She's always so willing to do this, too.
She taught Lucy her first Bible verses before she turned two. I don't think I would have thought to do this until a few years later.
She gave me a bag full of shiny pennies and envelopes so we could start teaching Lucy to give money to church each Sunday. I would not have thought to do this on my own.
She started a bedtime ritual with Lucy that's called "do today" where we go through and talk about everything we did that day. Lucy loves this part of bedtime and will not let us leave the room until we've gone through it. Mom told me how she did this with her a few times and I thought it was neat so started doing it every day with Lucy and will do it with Molly soon, too.
She came with me each month during Lucy's first year to help me while I had Lucy's monthly pictures done and helped me figure out what to have her wear. And when Molly was born she watched Lucy while I took Molly to have her pictures done because it would have been very challenging to have them both there together.
When I went into labor with Molly, she took Lucy home to spend the night and once Lucy was asleep, she left Lucy at home with Poppy and came back to the hospital to help all night while I labored with Molly, and then went home to take care of Lucy.
She stayed with us as long as we needed during Lucy and Molly's first weeks. And while staying with us she took care of our meals and cleaned our house, even the deep cleaning that no one really wants to do.
She came over at midnight when Molly was just three weeks old and I had mastitis. She stayed in our guest room, and during this time she would bring Molly to me in the middle of the night when she woke up to eat and when Molly was done eating I texted my Mom and she came to get Molly to put her back to bed so I didn't have to get up and Ross could continue sleeping.
She helped out in countless ways with Lucy during my pregnancy with Molly and after she was born.
She's helped pay for clothes, parties, gifts, and lots of miscellaneous things for both of our girls. .
She is always interested in what Lucy and Molly are up to and asks to see pictures or videos of them.
She always offers to help whenever needed and is very selfless with her time.
She is such a selfless helper to me, to my sister, to my Dad, to her friends, to countless people throughout the years. She doesn't often get the credit she is owed or deserved, but you would never hear her complain about that at all. She truly makes my life easier and I am so very thankful for her help. However, I'm not only thankful for her help, but for the mother that she was and is to me. She would tell you that she wasn't a good mother because she didn't teach me how to cook, didn't teach me how to fold a fitted sheet, didn't teach me how to garden, and other things like that. To that, though, I would say that I didn't care to learn all those things at the time and she has been a good mother because she has taught me so many other things that truly matter in life.....how to think of others first, how to make others feel special, how to remember who you are, how to put on my raincoat and let the raindrops (mean things people say to you) roll right off.....
I truly wish everyone had a Gumma in their life to help them because I don't know what I would do without mine. Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you!
1 comment:
What a wonderful and beautiful and much deserved tribute to your Mom! Thank you! I know she is touched by your beautiful words! She is truly ALL you described and more! She taught you all that you listed and more...and gives of herself as you so beautifully described! And, she is and has modeled for you, all of her family and friends, her enthusiasm for all that is good and fun...and the importance of God in her life and her beautiful and strong faith. God has blessed her with a family she so dearly loves and as you have stated, who so dearly loves her!
I am blessed to call her my sister....We relish her telephone visits, her texts, any time we have together, her enthusiasm over her family, her friends and their joys...and her joy in my life and family. God has surely gifted all of us with Wanda in our lives! Sister, Linda and B-I-L Dale
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