It is such an amazing thing for me to look at current photos of Mommy M & Baby B when it seems like only yesterday that these baby photos were taken and Mommy M was a tiny, delicate gift from the Lord that filled all of our hearts with quiet yet overflowing thankfulness.
She is a lovely woman now – accomplished, beautiful and sweet – a loving wife, devoted mother, affectionate daughter, fun-loving sister and beloved niece.
I can remember so clearly the first time I saw Mommy M. I was 23, living on my own in Nashville, Tennessee and newly embarked on a career in the music business that would send me down a bumpy, hairpin-turned road leading through record companies, recording studios, publishing companies, and even a between-music-business-jobs stint at a Tennessee wildlife park (the music business is just a different kind of wild life, right?)
There was a crazy-early morning call with my mother giddily telling me that my older sister had given birth to our happily-awaited new family member… a little baby girl. And when my big sister does something, I am here to tell you, it is going to be exceptional, it is going to be perfect, and so it was with this new little niece of mine.
After a plane trip back to the home state, my mother and I drove as fast as her sturdy little Chevy Nova could carry us out to the pine forested subdivision where my sister and her husband lived and I crept up carpeted stairs and into the baby room to see Mommy M for the first time. She was asleep. As I gazed down at her – her peaceful, perfectly exquisite face, tiny shell-like ears and quiet breathing captured my heart forever.
I dedicated myself to attempting to be the best aunt anyone ever had. I had never felt very close to my own aunt and wanted Mommy M to have something that I never had. I can’t say how well I accomplished this daunting goal, but I will say that I have a happy, cascading succession of memories of Mommy M and her equally delightful sister, SanFran S, that slip through my memory like burnished pearls gathered into the most exquisite necklace - unwound into a jeweled box.
I have loved the God-given opportunities to enjoy different personality traits, enjoyments and talents of Mommy M as she has grown through the years - from LEGO sets & crayons, to acting out Bible songs with motions, to picking out little girl’s clothes that were fun and cute and now sharing our enjoyment of oil painting. Not to mention the wonderful Daddy L that she has brought into our family and now precious Baby B!
Both of my sister’s daughters have grown to be remarkable women in every way and I am so proud of them. If you leave me out of the equation, they come from a line of women in our family with the same mix and quality of character - a paradox that stirs together indomitable spirits with gentle, tender hearts. We are thankful for each other and grateful to have been born where we were and with the heritage with which we have been blessed.
And yes – we recognize that it is a blessing. Not a random universe moment, but a bounteous gift from the Giver of all good things. He is the thread that knits us together and bends our paths toward the hope of being together forever.
Thank you, Lord, that You love me. Thank You, Lord, that you saved me. And thank You, Lord that I’m Mommy M’s and SanFran S’s aunt.
Love to the Pamela's Girls!
Auntie J.
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