Who's Your Mama?

Many years ago when I was in my twenties, my sister gave me a birthday card that said:

Happy Birthday...You are another year closer to being just like mom!

We got the best laugh out of that card. We love our mother but the thought of being just like her wasn't appealing at the time.

So here I am forty something, and I am my mother. It seem all the little things that annoyed me about my mom am I doing too and suddenly those things aren't so bad.

For instance, my mother had 4 children. She named us. Do you think she ever called us by the right name? No. She went through the list of names before she got to the right one. As for me my kids are threatening to make me flashcards. I finally just ask after to calling every name I know, "What is your name?" Sounds silly but I promise you its true!

My mom was a very good housekeeper, but she left little details out. One of which would drive me crazy. She would clean the kitchen, wipe every thing down, and dry off the faucet till it shined. Yet, without fail when I would go get water or something near the sink, there it was...a small pile of food crumbs, scraps in the drain. Aaauuugghh! What would it take to pick up the sink stop and dump the crumbs into the trash. As for me now as a housekeeper, I use a sink screen that sits in the drain. It catches little pieces of food, etc. I clean my kitchen. The faucet is the last thing I do as I leave the kitchen. It sits there all shiny, but...don't look in the drain. Sometimes I forget ...don't ask me how..but there sits the "yuck". I am my mother.

When my mom would try to get our attention to hurry us along for something, she would come down the hall and clap her hands loudly. Sometimes she would just clap her hands in the kitchen, just cause...I guess to celebrate her accomplishment of fixing a meal for her 4 starving kids. The clapping would make me roll my eyes. I would think to myself "how silly". Well, you guessed it. No only do I clap my hands loudly to catch my kids attention, but I add "Chop, chop! Let's go.". How could this happen, girlfriends?

My did some wondcrful things that I have emulated as well. I didn't think they were wonderful at the time as a rebellious teenager, but I am thankful now. Mom would gather all 4 of us kids and make us hold hands and pray before school. I was always in a hurry. I wasn't late but I wanted to see my friends. I didn't get all dolled up for nothing. I had people! So one morning I made such a fuss about having to pray and hold my sibs' hand, who I am sure were soaking up my sweet smelling lotion, that my mom must of prayed something "mean". You see I stormed out the back door to go to school, and I tripped and fell over a bike. My sister said they all rolled on the floor laughing at me. They were not nice! Lol! I took up praying with my boys on the way to school every morning as part of our commute. They didn't fuss too much until their late middle school years when they were in a hurry to listen to their music. They are driving themselves to school and college these days. I ask them to pray on their way. Kevin prays with them every night they are home before bed. I'm sure they roll their eyes but our eyes are closed and we don't see the smirks. Who knows maybe they are smiling?

My mom used to and still does go around saying "Praise the Lord". It's isn't flippant and she is very sincere in her praise, but as a teenager, I thought it was so embarrassing. If you told her you had a good day or even something simple like I found the brush I was looking for, she would say, "Praise the Lord, Tina." (my name back home). I guess I should of took her serious and praised the Lord, because now I know how important it is to offer up praises to the Lord. It glorifies Him, and brings joy to my heart. I love to give praise. I love to offer my gratitude, even if it seems embarrassing to some.

As you can see, I am my mom. I don't mind most of the time. She is one to be honored according to the Word of God. I just wish I would get a break sometime from the reminder of what I thought was silly about my mom, because it is happening to me today. I carry around a Tide pen because I never fail to drop food on my blouse....hello? my mom did the same. It would frustrate me so much when she did that and worse was when she would put a napkin on her blouse as a bib. Ladies, yes I have been known to wear the paper bib too! Help me!!!!

Last night after church a friend came to me as said she got tickled because she saw me sitting in church with my reading glasses and I looked just like my mom!!!! Well, Praise the Lord, girlfriends! I am my mother's daughter, and my mother showed me the way to being my Father God's daughter, and for that I am grateful. He loves me with blouse stains and all.

It's been several weeks since I called my mom. I think its time. Last time I called she said, "Hello? Hello?" then basically screams "Oh it's you, Tina, Praise the Lord!". Now you know she must know my voice, what's up with that. It's annoying but hey, who knows someday my boys will call and then I will say, "Oh, Cory/Tim it's you, Praise the Lord!"

Have a wonderful day. I am off to sit with a friend whose mother is having surgery today. Please say a little prayer for a successful hip replacement surgery.

PS: If you are commenting on my blog on facebook, it is not appearing on the blog website. This is ok but I am still working on the facebook thing. I am not used to it. I will try and check it more often. Thank you for your comments everyone. I am encouraged by them. Feel free to share this blog with your friends, etc. I had some one ask recently if it was private. It is not. I don't know what private is...I really should be more discreet....NAH! Love you, Anna