Friday, May 10, 2013

MOTHER'S DAY AND LEAVING A LEGACY


Every year when I would shop for a Mother’s Day card, I would cry right there in the store and try to hide my tears. Now that it’s been 15 years since Mama departed for Heaven, the void in my heart still lingers. I still get teary-eyed when I pass by and glimpse Mother’s Day cards. The red bird, Cardinal, next to her picture was her favorite bird.
I was the youngest in a family of eight and, of course, Mama and Daddy called me ‘Baby’. Even my oldest brother Sam did too. There’s so many memories I have of my mother but the legacy she left me to carry forward into my life was her strong faith in God. Now don’t go thinking this was forced on me or controlling my decision to follow Christ. It was not! She instructed us by Bible principles or we might have all ended up delinquents because of an absent father. Always struggling to make ends meet, she often quoted the scripture, “Why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin…” Matthew 6:28.
Although she had very little education, the daughter of a farmer, she was savvy in many ways. One of them was intuition and common sense. But she was also full of wisdom and wit. I have no doubt that if she’d been able to finish school and go to college, she would have excelled. Maybe written a book. She was usually cheerful and hardly ever complained about her health.
But Mother’s Day brings to mind something else—my mama’s hands.
Hands that were never idle, always finding work to do.
Hands that formed the best tastin’ biscuits, lemon pie, and fried chicken for Sunday dinner that you ever tasted. Her red beans and rice, cornbread were unsurpassed, made by those loving hands. Not to mention her teacakes that everyone loved.
Hands with a faint smell of garlic and onions when she would brush my hair.
Hands that tied on a clean apron, whipped up a delicious meal at the drop of a hat when family dropped by.
Hands that took a hot meal to a sick neighbor at the mere mention of illness.
Hands that ironed the perfect starched shirt-which by the way-hardly anyone ever does, but I like to when time permits.
Hands with long, pretty tapered nails that I filed and painted as she became too old to see well.
Hands that washed clothes with a ringer washer and hung them out on the clothes line to dry.
Hands that carefully counted every penny for household expenses.
Hands that wore pretty white gloves at Easter.
Hands folded in prayer, that I glimpsed unbeknownst to her.
I can only hope that I’m leaving my children a legacy that they will be proud of. What about you? Have you considered your own legacy? Whether you’re a mother or not, your legacy matters. In honor of Mother’s Day, I’ll give away 3 copies of Twice Promised when you leave me a comment on this blog post. Tell me why you’d like to win the book for your mother or if your mom has passed on, for yourself or friend. I’ll draw a winner a week from this Sunday.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
MAGGIE BRENDAN

53 comments:

Mrs Tina said...

Maggie, your mother sounds a lot like my mother. She is a hard worker and being 81 doesn't keep her from doing what she wants to do. She has slowed down some but still very active.

She also lives next door, which I love! Since she retired 4 years ago to take care of my step-dad who had cancer she has developed the love of reading. Since I have a "small library" in our spare bed room, she comes over and borrows my books.

I would love to win a copy of your book, Twice Promised, it sounds very interesting.

Blessings, Tina

Anonymous said...

Mother's Day brings to mind a legacy my mother left me-my Mother's Love. She showed her love daily to everyone she came in contact with. Her most important piece of advice was "Put God first! Even the night before she died she whispered those. Ery words to me. My mother always was sacrificing for me and for anyone else she saw in need. I want to pass on this legacy to my children. I would love to win your book and pass it on to my daughters and daughter-in-law.

Dianne Noland said...

I love your Blue Willow books and am anxiously waiting for the last in the series to come out Oct of this year. I'm looking forward to reading the last book of the series! I am a mother and grandmother and would like them to know God's love for them.

I would love to win! Thanks so much for the opportunity!

Sheri said...

Love your post and I loved Granny!!

Maggie Brendan said...

Tina, so glad your mom is still alive and active. That's a blessings, isn't it?

Dianne, Thank you for letting me know you've enjoyed my books!

Sheri-thanks, daughter! I surely do miss her.

Lori Weller said...

Mother's Day is special to me because it allows me to treat my mom as I want to and she has to allow it. My mom is very stubborn and feels she should do all the work. Boy,doesn't that sound familiar!
Your book sounds so interesting

Maggie Brendan said...

Lori, thanks for stopping by. I know exactly what you mean. We could never get my mama to sit down unless we took her out to eat. Lol!

Ginger Solomon said...

My mother was also the youngest of many (I'm not sure exactly how many there were). Unfortunately, she wasn't blessed with parents who doted on her.
My fondest wish/prayer is to break the cycle of bitterness that her parents poured into her by leaving that legacy that you spoke of.
I'm so glad your mother left you such wonderful memories.
Happy Mother's Day

Anonymous said...

Great post! What a powerful reminder!

My Mom is not a big reader, but I would love to win these for my grandmother who has played such a huge influence in my life! She was the person who came to my mind when I first gave my life to Christ because she was such a good person, but didn't have a relationship with my Savior! Praise God that many years later she is saved and LOVES to read!

Thank you for the giveaway!

Maggie Brendan said...

Ginger, I'm sorry your mother had a hard upbringing. Mine did too, but her mother was very kind, but she had a very strict father. I think there were 12 in mama's family. I was #8 in ours. God bless you this Mother's Day and perhaps you can dote on your Mom in a special way tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

Maggie Brendan said...

Laura, how lucky you are. I never had grandparents growing up. You've had a great legacy--now carry that forward. Thank you for posting.

Anonymous said...

O' SUCH A FANTASTIC STORY ABOUT YOUR MOTHER, IT WAS AS IF I WAS READING ONE OF YOUR NOVELS AS YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MEMORIES...I DON'T USUALLY ENTER GIVEAWAYS BUT, I DID SO LOVE THIS STORY!JUANITA
SILHOUETTESINSCALE @YAHOO.COM

Maggie Brendan said...

Juanita, You made me smile! So glad you enjoyed my post. Happy to enter you in the contest. :)

Unknown said...

I loved this post! It reminds me a lot of my mom. She is not a reader..but like your mother, her hands are always busy. She loves to sew, craft and create. She also took care of her mom all her young life as her mother had heart problems. She also plays the piano and all does all of the choir etc for our church. She is a pastor's wife and that in itself deserves some praise.
One thing I have always admired about my mom, she is very quiet and does little things for so many. She will make things for a woman that has no clothes, or paint a vase for a lady in the hospital. I have watched her many times make something for every lady in our church (year after year
) even with no thank you...she does it from her heart and for the Lord. Everything she does, she does it to please Him. That is also what I strive for...and it is because of my mother's example that I wanted to know her Jesus.
I would love to win a copy of your book, it sounds wonderful.
Sunydey26@aol.com
Happy Mother's Day ~ Johnette

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid I lost my mother to cancer 15 years ago. Taking care of her those last months I began to finally know her, and came to respect her immensely. Your books look fantastic. I would love to win them so I can read them and share them with my grownup daughter.

bonnie said...

My mother is 88 & is the "eternal optimist". She has always relied on prayer & her faith in God for all of life's "up's & down's" - I hope that is what my kid's will say about me.

Thanks for the opportunity to win one of your books!

bonnieroof60@yahoo.com

Melody said...

Our moms sound a lot alike. She taught me so much that counted....loving God, cooking, sewing, piano...making me finish what I started, never giving up. Now I am a missionary, pray my kids learned what I passed on to them. I wrote a cookbook and included funny stories from my days as a mom, pastors wife and missionary wife so that the grandkids would know about us.

Sheri said...

My mom loves to stay busy gardening, but she also loves to read. She is the prayer warrior of our family as well!

I would love to win a book so that we could both read it. I love to recommend books to her and she tells me which ones that she has been reading too.

Anonymous said...

My mother has been gone for 2 yrs and I have many moments of really missing her. Bonnie Traher momtr3@yahoo.com

Judy said...

Sadly my Mom passed away on January 27, 2012. She wasn't a reader but she did love her court programs on T.V. (Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, etc.) She will be celebrating her 2nd Mother's Day in Heaven. I miss her every day.

I would love to win a copy of your book, Twice Promised, it sounds like a great read.

Blessings!
Judy B
judyjohn2004(at)yahoo(dot)com

Jennifer said...

Your Mom was an amazing women and I'm so thankful you shared your lovely story with us! Happy Blessed Mother's Day!
jennydtipton[at]gmail[dot]com

Anonymous said...

Well I would love it if my mom read my books so we could discuss them after reading them, but she normally sticks with her nonfiction, commentaries, and all that. Despite our different reading preferences, we are very close, and she is my role model. She is down to earth, funny, kind, and all my friends love her. She, like your mom, wanted her children to know the joy of following Christ, and all of my siblings chose, like I did, to know Christ as our parents do. I could not imagine losing her. I feel for you Maggie, and Heaven must be all the more appealing knowing that you will see her their again.
Have a wonderful Mother's Day, Maggie! Congratulations on starting a seventh book!
~Marie Smith
jesusfreak4ever(at)juno(dot)commat

sharon m said...

My Mom is 94 and still reads, although she has trouble remembering where she left off in the book. I share my books with her. She is amazing and has the sweetest, most loving personality. She would do anything for me. Love you, Mom. sharon, CA

Unknown said...

My Mother is not just my Mother, she's my best friend. She's spent many hours on her knees in prayer for us, because I've seen and heard it. Unfortunately, I developed a health problem and when I went to have it corrected, there was a medical error. This has made the medical problem worse with other serious complications. I am now disabled. Mom and I live together. She's been right by my side and is my caregiver. She's even taught me more about having faith in God and through her example I have a better prayer life. I am so very blessed to have her as my Mother!!
barbmaci61(at)yahoo(dot)com

Books by Joi Copeland said...

I pray my legacy is teaching my boys about Jesus and to show them how to have a personal and deep relationship with Him. For me, that's the most important legacy I could leave them!
joi
booksbyjoiatcopelandclandotcom

KayM said...

Maggie, this is the first time I've stopped by your blog. I love your tribute to your mother. My mom is still living, but she has Alzheimer's Disease--in the last stages, as she is on hospice now. She was an avid reader, and I'm sure she would have loved to read your book. Happy Mother's Day.
may_dayzee (at) yahoo (dot) com

Truckredford said...

I love to win for my mom...she just loves to read and it looks like a wonderful book...I'm so blessed to have a Godly mother in my life - always encouraging me in the Word.

truckredford(at)gmail(dot)com

Lisa Medeiros said...

I would love to win the books for my mom because she is the one who gave me my love for reading :)
Deiselbuffs@gmail.com

Wanda (A Book Lover's Retreat) said...

My mom is living but not a reader. My aunt, however, is an avid reader like myself and so worthy of a free book. She has been like a mom to me and at times was more of a mom than my real mom was. If I Ever need help or just need a friend and a shoulder to cry on she is always there for me. I wish I could give her the moon but I can't. Hopefully I can give her a book to get lost in.

Wanda Barefoot
flghtlss1(at)yahoo(dot)com

Mel said...

On Mother's Day more than any other day of the year, the absence of my mom is a reminder of what I'm missing out on since she passed away six years ago. She was a great lady. I always felt loved and special even as an adult. She was a great friend and loved to have fun and laugh. This story Twice Promised would "tickle" her as the premise of the story promises to bring a laugh or even a tear or two. I'd love to win a copy just like all the others here. Thanks for the fun giveaway in honor of your mom.

Nancy Six said...

I would love to win this book for my 84 year old mom as she loves to read, especially Christian based fiction. She became a widow last July when my dad passed away after a brief illness and one thing that she enjoys doing is reading. Her strong and enduring faith as well as the love of family and friends are what keeps her going. My mom is my best friend and I think introducing her to a new author would be a fun way to honor her - while honoring your mother as well! What a joy to have such loving and strong mothers! Thanks!! nancy6@graffiti.net

Anonymous said...

My mom is a go, go, go lady. She is 70 and still teaches exercise classes. Recently she has had to slow down to take care of my dad who fell. She is not a reader but my sweet friend and mentor who is my moms age is. I would. Love to have a new book to give her.
Kim
quiltenbea@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Sounds alot like like my mother-n-law. She always believes in putting God and others before herself. She would give you the clothes off her back.
CherylB1987@hotmail.com

Susan P said...

Wow, what a beautiful post and memory of your mother! I can only hope to leave a legacy like that for my children. I would love to share your book with my mother.
Susan P

Anonymous said...

I would love this book. My mom was the greatest example of a godly woman.

Anonymous said...

I shared and liked. Amaryhdz90@yahoo.com

Karen G. said...

This is the first I've seen your blog and what a lovely story. Your books are lovely, too. Will have to look for them since you are a new author to me. My mother is 94 years old and still on the go. She bowls 3 days a week during bowling season, drives her friends around and lives by herself. She is the last one living from a family of 13 brothers and sisters. She was sent to live with a foster family when she was two years old because her mother died from child birth with one more child after my mother. She had a hard life on the farm until one of her sisters came to get her when she was eighteen. The foster father came out of the house with a shotgun threatening to shot them if she leaves. But since she was eighteen and not legally adopted he couldn't really do anything about it. She was born and raised in Pennsylvania and came to New York at the age of eighteen with her sister and brother-in-law.

Freda said...

Your so sounded like my sweetie..My mom has been gone now 10 years but seems like yesterday and when Mother's Day comes I just avoid the card section...enjoy your books..

Maggie Brendan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Maggie Brendan said...

I've just now had a chance to read all the wonderful tributes to you moms and see how proud all of you are of your Mothers. There's no doubt--our moms have greatly impacted our lives. Mostly for the better.

All of you have brightened my day! I hope you are enjoying others comments too. Check back Saturday night to see who the 3 lucky winners of Twice Promised will be. Hugs to you all!

Vickie McDonough said...

Maggie,

My mom made wonderful pan-fried chicken. She also made lemon pie, which she said had to be made with milk, not water, but I never developed a taste for it. I much preferred her delicious butterscotch pie. She always said it took her two hours to make it and it took us two minutes to eat it. :)

Something else I remember from when I was young was that her hands were always cold. She's still with us, although she is no longer able to cook--but her hands are still cold.

I love your books!

Sherri Wilson Johnson said...

This is simply beautiful! My mom has passed on and the things you said about your mom made me remember those special moments with mine. You're the best!

Maggie Brendan said...

Vickie, thanks for stopping by. I can't help but wonder why your mother's hands were always cold! Her pie sounds wonderful.

I'm so glad you enjoy my books!

Maggie Brendan said...

Hi Sherri, I know you miss you mom too. But one day we will see them in Heaven! What a wonderful promise from the Lord.

Thanks for posting! Hugs, Mags

Martha A. said...

My mom loves to read! She is a busy midwife, mother of 11 children, has 13 grandchildren and #14 is due soon. She is always borrowing books from me and I would love to win a copy to share with her!

martha(at)lclink(dot)com

Rick Estep said...

I would love to win this so that I can donate it to my church library so ALL of the mothers could enjoy it.

Maggie Brendan said...

Rick, thanks for stopping by. That's a lovely idea to win it for your library.:)

Maggie Brendan said...

Martha, you mother sounds so wonderful. Busy midwife-Wow! Thanks for posting about your mom.

Anne Payne said...

Your tribute to your mom brought tears to my eyes. It will be twelve years this August since my mom passed from my arms to those of Jesus. I always loved my mom's hands and that's what I miss most about her. On Mother's Day this year it was a year since my oldest daughter passed from my arms into Jesus' arms. How my heart broke when I had to finally let go of her hand. I recently wrote a poem about her hands so I thought it was doubly moving that you talked about your mom's hands.

I'm a fan of your books and would love to read this one.

Maggie Brendan said...

Oh, Anne, I can't even imagine how heart-breaking that must have been and still is. I'm so sorry.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tammy Sotela said...

What a sweet tribute to your Mom! My mother passed away at the young age of 62. My first child was born more than a year later. My children never knew my mother and what it meant to have a grandmother like her. My Dad passed away seven years later. My oldest children don't remember him very well either (the youngest was born later). Every year our school does a big Grandparents' Day celebration. It is hard to explain to young ones that they have no grandparents to bring to school.

I would love to win your book just because I enjoy your books so much. Thank you for the opportunity.

Maggie Brendan said...

Tammy, I never knew my grandparents either. I know I missed something by not having grandparents. My father died when he was in his 60's and that seemed too young to me. You mom was young too. I know you treasure the special times with her. Memories are so sweet, aren't they?

Thanks for taking the time to post.

Unknown said...

LOVED TOUR MOTHER'S DAY STORY...WOULD WELCOME 1 OF YOUR NOVELS!