Mamas and Daughters
I met my friend Nancy Manos through her work with the Arizona Families for Home Education (AFHE). She is one of the most positive women I know. Joy shines from her heart, her face, and her life. Last week I read a tribute that Nancy wrote for her mother who passed away almost ten years ago at age 71. Nancy’s words are so touching that I asked her permission to share them with you, permission that she graciously granted. I share it because:
- It is a beautiful picture of a loving and healthy mother/daughter relationship.
- It reveals what a grown daughter appreciates about a loving mother.
- It teaches specific ways a mother can bless grown daughters.
- It gives specific examples of how a grown daughter can bless her mother.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ From Nancy ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Today would have been my mama’s 81st birthday. She was such a gift in my life. I’m so thankful she lived with us the last 8 years of her life and we got to enjoy so much time together … cooking, baking, quilting, crafting, volunteering, serving at church, and just doing life together.
She became one of my dearest friends especially those last 8 years. I cherished her quiet strength, her creativity, her fierce loyalty, her love for her family and friends, her joy in volunteering, her strong work ethic, her love for Jesus, her fun sense of humor, and her occasional feistiness. She was my biggest cheerleader, she adored James, and she was an important part of our girls’ lives.
We loved to read many of the same books. She would keep track of our favorite authors and kept us stocked with their latest books. She was my shopping buddy, my kitchen sidekick, and my AFHE Convention helper. She often had a jigsaw puzzle going and always had a sewing project in the works. She was the best gift giver. She paid attention and tucked away ideas as we did life together and surprised me with the most perfect gifts for Christmas and my birthday. She was thoughtful, supportive, kind, generous, and lots of fun, too! Oh, how I miss her.
Happy birthday, Mom! I can’t believe you’ve been gone almost 10 years already. Looking forward to that glorious day we are reunited in Heaven.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Thank you, Nancy, for painting this picture for us. You gave your mother a loving home for her last years. God gave you all those daily blessings and the gift of a dearest friend “especially those last 8 years.” What a beautiful fulfillment of Jesus’ words:
“Give, and it will be given to you.
They will pour into your lap a good measure—
pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
For by your standard of measure
it will be measured to you in return.”
Luke 6:38