A Mothering Heritage

In our church we have what we call “snow birds,” folks who leave for the warmer climates when the snow falls.  These are mostly the grandparents of our congregation.  Then we have the SBMI teachers like Val and Leroy who take their families with, and also some students from among our young people who leave us for a term or two.  We miss these folks.

I think it was after teaching school that first year that I started a tradition.  I would come home for the summer and spend an afternoon or morning with some of the church ladies.  It was a good way to catch up and just be together.  Now living up here I try to do this with the “snow birds.”

A few days ago I took my newly acquired sister-in-law Jen (well a year has gone by so fast!) and Wayne and went over to Norma’s for the afternoon.  The guys came later then with the rest of the children at Norma’s invitation and we had supper.

I told Japheth last night, “There’s something special about going over to the “older” ladies homes.  I think it’s the mothering thing.  Sometimes I get a bit worn out with having company, being hostess or in charge of functions (I am on the food committee at church) and just being Mom.  It feels so good to sit down and relax and let someone “mother” me by bringing me a cup of hot tea and chatting.”

I love hearing too the stories and advice of those who have gone down this road before.  Maybe it’s just a God-given instinct for me to desire to be taught by the older women like in Titus two.  I feel I have much to learn from them.  I look up to them . . .  especially now that I’m finding out all that is required of a wife, mother, homemaker, hostess, etc.

Titus 2:3-5  The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanders, not given to much wine, teachers of good things – that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”