“Happy Anniversary, Mama”

“Honor you father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

The fabric of who I am I owe to my parents, because I learned from them how to have joy and laughter, perseverance, conviction and a love for God that defies circumstances. Four years ago this week I felt sure I couldn’t go on with mama suddenly gone, but today God’s given me precious memories of the treasures my parents left for me.

From the moment my mom discovered she was pregnant she knew God had set her path on a special journey.  No matter how sick she was she endured it with great joy and looked forward to the responsiblity. My parents were my biggest cheerleaders. I may have been an only child, but I wasn’t spoiled. When my dad passed away my mom remained my biggest fan whether I was singing in front of ten thousand people or learning to walk again in physical therapy.  Due to my chronic illness I was often in the hospital or homebound for extended periods of time. For years mama was my personal shopper, chef, therapist and confidante and never complained. I really don’t know what Tony and I would have done without her help.

In 2005 we had the pleasure of my mom coming to live with us for a couple of years.  She was very sick when she first moved in, but with some tender loving care she was back on her feet in just a few months. I was able to get her in the habit of  joining me in Bible study and prayer time every morning. I’m thankful to say that in 2006 we read the entire Bible through. God blessed us with some wonderful moments.

Most days my mom was like a teenager once she got her day started then all of a sudden she started having trouble breathing. Late one Sunday night Tony and I rushed her to the hospital where a few days later she had a stint put into one of her arteries.  She had to stay in the hospital until Christmas day which made her very sad, so on Christmas Eve night I tried to do everything I could to make her spirits bright.

Mama was very excited about going home and she was told she could shower from the waist down before she got dressed.  She wanted me to help her, so we were standing there together–she was naked as a jay bird and I’ve got on my only set of clothes.  I handed her the shower wand but she got confused and accidentally turned it on me. Did I mention I had on my shoes?  We both started yelling at each other to turn the water off then we started laughing at the what a silly site we must have been. Looking back I wouldn’t trade that memory for all the money in the world. 

We brought mama home and celebrated Christmas with a few close friends and family just the way she had requested.  When New Year’s Eve rolled around she asked if we could order a Domino’s pizza and watch some movies.  My mother  could have asked for the moon and I would have lassoed it for her. She appeared to be doing fairly well, but something inside me was uneasy for her. Little did I know that in less than two weeks it was going to take a miracle to save her life this time.

It wasn’t in God’s plan for her healing to happen on this earth, but as soon as my precious mama walked into heaven’s corridors all of her suffering was over. Today marks four years she has been celebrating in heaven with a new body.  I miss her like it was yesterday, but I’d never ask her to come back. Instead I look forward to the day when I can say face to face, ” Happy Anniversary, Mama.”