Spoken At My Mom's Service.

[KJO]

My Mom. . .

Good morning friends and family. How does one capture the embodiment of his mother? I originally had a quirky poem set up for this. First of all, I couldn’t get the poem together and then I thought, it simply doesn’t fit. I had memorised some gaelic phrases to speak, but couldn't get them out without becoming emotional. So, I recalled a conversation that me and my mother had, and decided to use that as a basis of this writing. So forgive me if it is not organised.

Today is indeed a somber day for us. For ourselves? Yes. However, it is not for our dear Mom, Nonnie, and beloved friend. For she has begun her new journey into the light with God. Although Mom did not attend a church, she main stayed her own relationship with him. Mom wanted us to find our own paths to faith however, she kept the Lord’s prayer at our Thanksgiving table and for our rough times for all of us together. She provided us a foundation of faith that has brought each of us here today. So, I find it appropriate that we should take a moment to listen to one of her favorite hymns by one of her favorite singers. Mr. Daniel O’Donnell.

Track 13: How Great Thou Art.

Her own self:

It was where Mom’s strength began. It gave her the boundless energy to acquire the many different talents she took on and moved her forward. Since the early fifties, Mom was a dance instructor, professional model, automobile commercial model, hair stylist, prominent business owner of three companies, and a hypnotherapist. While she did all these things, she masterfully raised us somewhere in between mostly alone. It was in her strength that secured and fortified us as a family whether there would be a crisis or a festivity. One of her proudest moments was the creation of a close family unity. It was not easy to do. Somehow, she made it seem so. Even when times were challenging, Mom would make it work, despite the struggle. Several years ago, as a Mother’s Day gift, I found this poem which perfectly describes the tribulations of motherhood:

The Bravest Battle

The bravest battle that was ever fought!

Shall I tell you where and when?

On the maps of the world you will find it not;

T’was fought by the mothers of men.

Nay, not with cannon or battle-shot.

With sword or noble pen

Nay not with eloquent words or thought

From the mouths of wonderful men!

But deep in a walled-up woman’s heart-

Of a woman that would not yield,

But bravely, silently bore her part-

Lo, there is that battle-field!

It moved us forward. It was very natural for her. It was her love for us that also kept us strong. She also kept our love for each other strong as well. Since I was the youngest, I only knew my mother past her forties growing up. However, I noticed that she was different from other forty year olds. She lived life fast, so it wasn’t easy keeping up with her. In that household, we learned to catch up.

She moved us forward. Not just because she was my Mum, it was because she had a youthful approach to life and living it. She was a powerful woman, with a little girl within her. It was not easy to deal with this little girl in her at times, but she didn’t care. Her love was known regardless of timing. It was this little girl in her that made her the life of the party, as I am sure you all can recollect. Even some of her hypnosis sessions would turn into some kind of social event afterwards. The weddings were marvelous! My mother was the first to start the food fights at the receptions. I remember that pool pump dying from all the coleslaw Mom threw around at that Luau the day after. Our cousins would spend the night for an entire summer with Mom letting us stay up all night with the card games. Mom made the house was a party magnet with her loving positive energies. It was jovial, positive, and everyone left happy-even if it was 4:30 in the morning. It was how our wee Mum kept her house, a home. Filled with love, and happiness. During school days, there were many winter days started off with a roaring fire in the fireplace with a hot cup of tea and our interesting breakfasts? I never knew Scottish food included picante sauce, but if she said so. We ate it any ways, because that wee girl can grow up real fast and we would told that we would be getting it the easy way, or the hard way. As I am sure we all knew that we weren’t brought up in that household, we were forced up. However, she always included love in with the discipline even if we didn’t love it, or understand it at the time. It made us strong.

It moved us forward.

Later in life, she had health issues, such as her strokes, and heart attack. Didn’t stop her.

She still moved forward. Her personality assured us all she was on the mend and everything was going to be alright. She had since become more relaxed and much more giving. It did not stop her from going to all those garage sales and junk stores buying all those things. Then graciously, she would give the items to each of us. I still have them brass sconces in my storage bin that I still don’t know what to do with. Also, she became the grand master of the claw toy machines at Fry’s every grocery-shopping day. She gave those toys to the charities that serviced the infirm, or homeless children. Also, she would give money to those who needed it even when her own economy wasn’t ideal. She did it because she felt it was the right thing to do. She was a strong champion for animals regardless of breed, which was remarkable. Why? She did it out of love. She did what she called “God’s work.” And it was that love that kept her going for all of her causes and passions.

She moved forward. After her heart attack, Mom started to appreciate things that she didn’t before. She would read different books. Watch different movies. She opened herself up to different ideas. Mom even developed, much to the chagrin of my sisters, a likings to Star Trek. She had a little crush for William Shatner and I think that was why that the original series was the only one she would watch. Gee, and all this time, I thought she really liked it. She had many such crushes. Johnny Depp, Colin Firth, Gerard Butler, and her favorite, Clark Gable.

But her real love was in her family. A type of love that she could only express the only way she knew how: In your face. It was a sweet, yet tough love. Not easy to understand right away sometimes, but all knew that it was real. A type of love one worthy of those who love her. It is that love of hers that each of us, will take with us today. A love that was cemented in us from the beginning. It is that love, which will move us forward.

Play Il Divo’s “Amazing Grace”

[niamh]

so beautiful KJO, thanks for sharing

[KJO]

I didn't really like it, but I thank you for your response. I couldn't get it all the way it is supposed to be. I still cannot. Thank you. I appreciate it.