Monday, January 7, 2008

Happy Birthday, Mother!


Though you've been gone now for nine and a half years, I still think of you everyday, and wish I could ask you how you navigated so gracefully through each phase of life. As I usually do on your birthday, today I will do something special. Laurie has an adorable sign in her store with the quote, "Just Do Your Best". Oh my, Mother so many times when I would be stressed out about issues that concerned me, you would always say, "Just do YOUR best, and then don't worry about the rest." When I saw the little sign in Laurie's store on Saturday, it was a great reminder to me. So today, I believe I will buy it. I need that reminder. Happy Birthday Mother! I will continue to do MY best and TRY not to worry about the rest. I'm working on that, really I am...yes Mother, I AM.

12 comments:

Karla Cook @ Roads to Everywhere said...

I expect Grandmother would be just like my mother is about this blog business... she'd just be so eager to know what we posted, and she'd keep checking back all the time to see if we posted anything new. I am just convinced we would have had to teach her to use a computer by now... just for the emails and blogs!

I do miss Grandmother and Granddaddy. Life is just not the same with them in Heaven.

Anonymous said...

Rachel,
On this the 91st. year of Mother's birth, I know she would be so excited and proud of you and all you have done on your "A Romantic Porch" page. She so loved big porches also. I so well remember the porch that wrapped around the three sides of the old house I grew up in, the house our Greatgrandfather built in 1906 on the old homestead place.
Mother and Daddy left us so many wonderful memories and taugh us always, Just do our best, with what we had.
Have a wonderful day.
I love you, Donnie

A Romantic Porch said...

Donnie, You are so sweet. I'm glad your MY sister. Love always,

Anonymous said...

Rachel,
I love the pictures of when you were little, you have grown into a beautiful, inside as well as out, lady. Mother would be proud!
Love, Donnie

Anonymous said...

Rachel, I love your blog! I'm thankful our best is enough even when we feel it isn't much.

Now I wonder if I can get this to post?

A Romantic Porch said...

Pallie, That is so sweet. I'm glad you like the blog. Thanks for being a great sister.

Anonymous said...

Rachel, Thanks so much for telling me about your blog. I too have been thinking about Mother's birthday and how happy she would be to be a part of all our modern communication technology. Today being her birthday, I wonder if you knew that today is also the 81st anniversary of the first public translantic telephone call, which means that it would have happened on Mother's 10th birthday. But in a greater sense, I guess Mother is a part of all the technology through all 10 of us, her children, and all the other family members. Love, Keith

Anonymous said...

Rachel,
Yesterday morning I heard the Gaither trio singing the old song, "Going Home" in beautiful three-part harmony. It brought to mind your story of riding in the car with Mother and Daddy through the Ozark country roads late in the evening. As a young girl the deepening forest shadows began to fighten you. You asked Mother, "Are we lost? Can we get home?" You said she answered with assurance, "No, we're not lost! Daddy knows the way home!" She indeed had incredible common sense wisdom that nurtured her family into adulthood. Our parents let us a valuable legacy! Love your "Front Porch!" Ray

A Romantic Porch said...

Oh my goodness Keith and Ray, how kind of you to comment. I think I've been feeling the perks today of being one of "10", as different ones of you are finding "A Romantic Porch" and commenting. I just love it when we can sit a while and visit. It's exciting that inspite of the miles, we still can. Get a tall frosty glass of Dr. Pepper, and let's share some stories! I'm so proud to call you both brothers. Love,Rachel

Anonymous said...

I just found your "Porch Post". The happy birthday greeting was very touching and true. It brought a tear to my eye.

I recall a porch story Mother loved to tell. It seems a little brother and older sister were playing on the porch. The little brother threw a toy to the ground, then told his sister to go get it. She dutifully did, only for the little brother to throw it off the porch again. This was repeated several times. The exasperated Sister finally declared to the Mother, "I just wish we hadn't got a little brother"!

A Romantic Porch said...

I'm trying to figure out who "Daisy" is?? <3 Rachel

Karla Cook @ Roads to Everywhere said...

Oh! Dontcha know? It's the same person who commented on my dad's blog last week... This Daisy person is quite the blog-hopper!