Beneath My Heart

I just wanted to share a special memory I have of my mom.

The details are blurry, but the imprint it left on my heart is crystal clear.

Mom had bought herself 4 new dresses to wear to church!

This was a huge deal for Mom.  She was always putting others above herself, even when it came to clothing.

I remember going to church on Sunday mornings with my brother and sister dressed in our new “church” clothes, lookin’ like a million bucks.  (At least we thought so.)  :)

And in the driver’s seat was Mom, dressed in the same dress that she had worn for years.  But believe me, she didn’t care.  Her clothes were fine as far as she was concerned.

She found so much happiness in making us happy and providing for us.

So when Mom said she went to McAlpin’s and bought herself four new dresses, I could hardly believe my ears!

She tried each of the dresses on for us, and she was beautiful.

I was so happy for her.  She deserved everyone one of them.

She placed them neatly in the back of her closet with the tags still on them, waiting for Sunday to come so she could wear one of them.

A few days later, a note came home from school that I needed some money for a field trip or something.  This is where the details become unclear.  I know it was something I needed for school, and I remember it being around $100.00.

We didn’t always have a lot of extra money.  Mom and Dad lived mostly paycheck to paycheck.  (I know that feeling all to well now!)

So to come up with a hundred bucks was going to be difficult.  I remember Mom telling me that she just didn’t have that money and I wouldn’t be able to participate in whatever the school event was.

I was so disappointed.  Like most kids, I just couldn’t understand why Mom and Dad didn’t have the money?

A few days passed when Mom came up to me with a big smile on her face.  “Here’s the money you needed for school, Traci!”

What?

Seriously?

I was so excited!  I gave Mom a big hug.

I asked Mom how she was able to come up with the money when a just few days earlier, she said we were broke.

“Oh, no big deal, sweetie.  I just took my dresses back to McAlpin’s so we would have the extra money.”  She said still smiling.

I began to cry.

I remember begging Mom to go get her dresses back!  She never did anything for herself.  It broke my heart to know that she had made such a sacrifice…for me.

But making sacrifices for her children made her happy.  I know that the joy she saw on my face when she handed me the money was worth way more to her than those dresses.

She reassured me that she would get her some new dresses as soon as she had some extra money.  I don’t remember that day ever coming.

I felt so loved that day!

There was no doubt in my heart or mind that my mom loved me.

Mom taught me that day that sacrifice = love.

And it made me think of the Cross.

And the even greater sacrifice that Christ made when He gave His life for my sins.

Because of His great sacrifice, I know that He loves me (and you).

Have a blessed day!

This week, I wanted to share with you one of Mom’s article from Home Life Magazine.  She only wrote for Home Life for a couple of years, but I love having these magazines to look back at and enjoy.

Here is one I have from October, 1994.

When Mom wrote for our local newspaper, she took the pictures for her article herself.  However, when she began writing for Home Life Magazine, they had a cook make Mom’s recipes and a photographer take pictures of them.

Sometimes Mom liked the way the pictures turned out and sometimes she didn’t.  She would say, “That’s not what my recipe was supposed to look like!”  It was the perfectionist side of her.  A characteristic I may have inherited from her. (wink)  :)

I love how Mom began most of her articles with a personal story about our family or friends.  She also always included a “Food For Thought” at the end of each article.  She loved using her articles to honor those she loved and treasured in her life, like her sweet Mother-in-Law (Granny), that she wrote about in this one.

I hope you enjoy!

Here is the article as it appeared in the magazine….

I separated the article into smaller sections so you could see it a little bit better…

Have a blessed day!