Happy Birthday to the child who brought up the rear in everything we did. Her closet was a magical “fairy room”. She had a “fairy garden” outside that no one else could see and an imaginary friend who had an amazing personality. She had giant black dollar store glasses that she pulled off with every outfit when she was seven. (All the other mamas thought I had temporarily coded while at the optometrist.) She had a lot behind her ears, because she still had to put the tiara on, too, because her fairies were crowned fairies with magic wands. And she wanted to be a diarrhea (ballerina) when she grew up. Her friends, Millie and Mollie, and Brittany and Larissa and Erin, and, later Brooke, were down for the magic.
She did grow up. Her baby dolls, Polly Pockets, Beanie Babies and twirling fairies have now been mostly distributed among her children. Those three kids on Powell Street do not even yet appreciate her strength and courage and the daily sacrifices that are just the norm for her. She rarely does any friend things. The parties she attends are Bluey or Princess or Dude Perfect. Her dates are with the orthodontist, the pediatrician, or the sleep clinic. But she shows up at all those places. Most importantly, she shows up for worship, evangelism, and for people who need her.
Her house is not company ready all the time, but it is service ready. Her van is often a pit, but it will stop, in Samaritan fashion, to pull someone else out of one. Many prayers have been offered from that van, when flashing ambulance lights and sirens whizz by it. Her yard and hands are not always manicured, but they are full. Her time is sparse, but knowing that everyone’s time is limited on earth, she always rearranges for someone who needs the gospel, including those three kids. Sometimes, one of the kids doesn’t get out of pajamas all day, but Bible time happens EVERY night. She is not flashy, but she is faithful.
I am blessed that she is my neighbor…the one from whom I can borrow a can of Rotel or a cake mix (or even a pair of shoes) whenever I’m in a bind. I’m thankful she’s an example of faith and that she constantly reminds me of the difference between temporal and eternal. I’m thankful, mostly, that she’s the mother of those three kids that are liable to walk in my door at any moment of any day and holler “Maaammmy!…are you here?”
She was running a fever last night, so I don’t know if we will get to celebrate today, But her kids have done their little shopping and the hamburgers are ready to throw on the grill, just in case. And the children are all coming over early to help decorate. That’s their forte’, and let me tell you, that’ll be another thing that will not be picture perfect. But they will sing loud and they will proudly offer their little gifts. (Eliza Jane couldn’t get off the “Mama really likes cookies wif dis icing.”)
Everything is not fair in this life. But there’s a land that is fairer than day, where all will be made right. Her plan is to be there with the three that are looking to her for the directions to that land. I hope I am waiting for them before they get there. I can already hear them hollering “Maaammmy!…Are you here?!”
