She left this world on November 18, 1994 - hard to believe, that today, - it has been 14 years!.
I miss you Mom.
I was a "late in life" baby for my parents - SURPRISE! I am #5 - the last of the Crane clan. I learned when I was older that my Mom freaked out the entire time she was pregnant with me because: she was OLD, already had 4 kids that she sometimes couldn't feed and really wasn't up for starting again with an infant. All REALLY good reasons to freak out!
I am actually named after her friend, Charolette, (that is where the funny spelling came from) who helped my Mom "cope" and get through the whole pregnancy thing and come to terms with the reality of ANOTHER BABY AT HER AGE!
I couldn't really appreciate any of this until I arrived at my current age and realized that at this point - my mom was dealing with a child - a little girl that was very opinionated, definitely had a mind of her own, was very busy and didn't take answers like "no" and "I don't know" - very well. YIKES - I am thankful that there weren't alternatives in the 1950's! Aw - she wouldn't have done that. ;-)
My mom taught first grade for 40+ years. That's a long time. She loved it - she loved the children and she was really good at it. In addition she ran a household, June Cleaver style, made all of my clothes so that I could have what everyone else had, cooked real meals every evening and even made all of our bread and stuff each week. A true wonder-woman.
Many of my friends had my mom as thier 1st grade teacher - everyone loved her! Even as an adult, I became friends with someone that had my mom for first grade in Oklahoma, before I was even born! He thought my mom was the greatest - he still remembered her by name and talked about what a huge impact that very loving kind woman had on his life.
My mom was "spent" most of the time - understandably so. As a result, my older sister Caryol, took on the roll as my mommy. Caryol did everything for me that a mother should do for a child - well, as much as she could. Caryol got married when I was 6 years old - there went my mommy.
As a result, my mom and I had a very strained relationship - we loved each other - but both of us resented the other for very different reasons.
For all of the good and the bad - we don't get to pick our parents - we get the ones that God gives us - the ones that He knows will be the right ones for us. Everything in life happens for a reason - every hand that we are dealt helps to make us the people that we become.
For this I am very thankful, that Blanche Edith Knowles Crane was my mom! She truly was a remarkable woman - I'll tell you more about her in another blog entry.
These are just a few of the things in my life that came from my mother:
- I know and love the Lord
- I was a stay-at-home mom
- I tried with all my being to insure my children knew I loved them unconditionally
- Beauty is not a pretty face but a pretty heart
- Always try to see the best in people (even though sometimes I don't see it right away)
- Everyone deserves a 2nd, 3rd, 4th..... chance
- Be thankful and appreciate the material things you have
- I got her love for sewing and for making beautiful things
- Be content in times of lean and in times of plenty
- One can face adversity and know that you will be ok
- I am thankful for my health and don't take it for granted
- I LOVE shoes - so did my mom. ;-)
- I know that if a lady does not have on her lipstick & a pair of ear-bob's, she may as well be naked!
- Pretty is as pretty does.
- When leaving the house - one should always "smile and be pleasant"
- Treat all people equally because "folks are folks"
I know that no matter what your relationship was like with your mother - when she is gone - you will miss her. You WILL wish that you could tell her that you love her - and wrap your arms around her, just one more time.
Love you Mom.
Very sweet sentiments. You did a good job learning all those life lessons. I wish I could have met her. She sounds very interesting.
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