Mama

MOM OF THE DAY

Neal's mom, Annis, is today's mom of the day. She was a woman unlike any other, and consequently lived a life full of unforgettable experiences and did it all with a sense of charm, fun, and that irrepressible Southern grace. She emanated pure love and influenced people for good wherever she went. I've never known someone who cared so selflessly for others, always sacrificing her own time, whether it was convenient or not, to tend to the needs of others, even if they were no more than acquaintances. I have so many wonderful memories of my time spent with Mama, and I was only blessed enough to know her for six short years. I can only imagine how much her own children miss her.
In the years between Neal and I meeting and her passing away, I became a mother, and, since she was nearest to us, we spent lots of time at her house when Audrey was a baby. I loved to see her with Audrey and remember thinking how lucky Neal was to have her as a mother. She just doted on our "Audie Mae," and was such a wonderful example to me of patience and tenderness with my new baby. I'm grateful every day for the things she taught Neal, because now he's teaching them to our kids and to me. In fact, when I'm singing lullabies to Miles at night, I find myself alternating between Silent Night (one of the songs my mom always sang to us), and a little song Neal used to sing to Audrey, that I think his mama learned from her mama. It's all about how "all those horses in the stalls, or all those chickens in the coop, or all those cows in the pasture belong to mama's little baby boy."

One of my favorite memories of Neal's mom is kind of a silly one. We had gone to visit them in Tyler for the weekend. I think I was pregnant at the time, and on the way home from church, we were discussing what had happened in Relief Society. During the songs, an older lady (we couldn't tell who) in the room was singing in a very shrill, high-pitched, out-of-key voice that was so distracting that Mama and I had a hard time not breaking out into giggles. I remember her putting her hand on my arm as we both tried to maintain our composure. In the car on the way home, Mama was trying to sing like that for Neal and his dad, but she was laughing so hard that she couldn't even do it. I laughed until I cried. She really knew how to make life fun. Her perspective was always so insightful, and I miss her so much.

It was never difficult for me to call Annis "Mama." It felt so natural and I found myself calling her that from the day we were married, when I could officially count her as my mother-in-law.

Happy Mother's Day, Mama!

Here, Mama and Neal were planting some flowers in her yard after she and Neal's dad moved to Missouri. Audrey was providing the entertainment.

You can read more about Mama here or about her wonderful parents here.