My  Mom

B. J. Cassady

I know that God's been good to both of us.  I know he has blessed us. 

How do I know?

I look at my Mom.

She is my blood, and I will always have her with me.  People say what

is your mom like?  I say look at me!  She has made me!

They say where have you gotten your attitude?

I look at my Mom.

When the skies have been gray in my life when darkness appeared to

close me in.

I look at my Mom.

She supports, guides, and offers me good counsel on life.  How to be

happy, to find yourself in this confusing world, how to find happiness. 

And how do I find happiness?

I look at my Mom.

When I think of all the blessings life has given me, children,

grandchildren, good true friends, a great wife.  I wonder what would I

miss when I have everything.

I look at my Mom.

B.J. Cassady

Guthrie, Oklahoma

B.J. Cassady

BJ.Cassady @ af-group.com

B.J. Cassady is a Stephen Minister at

Edmond Trinity Church and ISD professional

in Guthrie, Oklahoma.  A disabled Vietnam

era USAF vet,  BJ enjoys giving back to

the world with his writings and is putting

together a CD audio collection of his best

writings.  For further information please

write: bj.enterprises @juno.com

Also look for his story 'Medals' in

"More Patriot Hearts" by Lt Col William

Coffey and "The Quilt".

~**~**~  

Focus on Home ??“ A Mother??™s memories

By: Jan Verhoeff

Opening my eyes to the fading early dawn, I blink, then close them tight hoping for just a moment or two longer to sleep.  The desire to finish that dream that had me smiling as I awakened, drifted in and out of my mind as the dream became elusive, fading with the night.  Morning didn??™t used to come this early.  I remember luxuriously drifting on my pillow until the sun danced through the lace at my windows, awakening me to the delicate scent of lilacs, and the sound of birds singing from the trees outside.

Every mother wants that extra moment of sleep before rising.  It??™s a natural desire, and at some point becomes the ultimate luxury.  I??™ve heard about how mother??™s give up so much to become a mother, and I understand that concept but, I have to say ??“ I have gained so much more than I ever gave up. 

I gained nearly nineteen years ago a beautiful little girl patting my face with tiny hands, waking me up to her tiny sweet voice ???potty mommy???.  Later, angelic smiles wooing me into lala land as I slept during the mornings, with her sitting on the bed playing with her color books and numbers, since I??™d worked all night. Eventually it was two precious baby girls, laughing and singing every morning as I worked, or playing in their car seats as we traveled along the roads where I worked.  Then a little boy was added and I worked at my desk while I nursed him, or watched him play nearby with his sisters as I worked long hours in a restaurant.  Then another boy and life was complete.  I had two boys and two girls, treasures to fill up my day and bless my life.

Moms who work full time, those who work from home, those who stay at home to raise their children and never have to support them, know the value of their children. Getting up before we are ready to care for a sick child, or to support our family is nothing compared to the hurting and longing of being childless and desiring a child.  I look at friends who have no children and suddenly understand the value of my children, if any doubts were left. 

Children are an inheritance from the Lord, a blessing; a gift of love that lingers welcoming life and promising that life will go on. 

If you are a mother, Happy Mother??™s Day.  If you aren??™t a mother, Happy Mother??™s Day anyway. Feel blessed and experience the love that surrounds you!

Jan Verhoeff

Janverhoeff@yahoo.com

About Me:

Jan Verhoeff lives just west of the Great Plains, and
just east of the Rocky Mountain foothills of Colorado
with three of her four children, and a wild skunk
called Manhattan.  (No he doesn't live in the house,
he just thinks he does.) Her wild imagination and
fortitude have brought her out of the depths of a
broken marriage, given her courage to step into the
future and live the life of her dreams.  Jan spends
her days writing, painting, and home schooling her
children.  Her nights she saves for worrying about
child number four who is diligently preparing for a
career in Criminal Justice after college.

Jan's perpetual desire to learn originally focused her
writing in the Business Industries, where she writes
motivational and marketing articles for a variety of
publications.  Her first book publication,
self-published in 1991, sold more than a thousand
copies in a local business market.  Later publications
include: "Stories for the Trail" (with other Authors),
"Words To Ponder - One Woman's Thoughts",  "Prickly
Points of Life", "Recipes from Jan's Kitchen", "Focus
on Function", and "Put Your Thoughts In Print". 

More recently, Jan's writing interest leans toward
mystery and behavioral humor.  Both are included in
her latest endeavor due to be released in March 2005
"Out of the Box", a publication about the triumphs and
joys of home based education, and the processes she's
found that work best with her children and others.

You may find her work at:

http://wordstoponder.tripod.com
or
http://windmill29.tripod.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~ALSO~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My son wrote a book.  It's a children's story, the book sells for
$4.95 plus a $1.00 shipping charge.  I have pay pall, so you can send
the money that way - or by snail mail. 
His website is:
http://www.freewebs.com/janverhoeff/kenton.htm

 

Thanks for visiting!  Jan

~**~**~  

The Forgotten Mothers

Bill Walker

wildbill6807 @yahoo.com

I was reading a poem. It is said to have been wrote by a little old lady in her last year or so of life. It was found after her death. It gave me much to think about.

You see I have walked the halls of so called nursing homes. I worked on an ambulance for some years. I know what it is like to go on a run down the halls of these places. I have seen the people there waiting, I have heard the cries, I have had the smell of human waste. You always know the second you open the door, your going to get some of it, or even all of it.

Let me tell you what you will hear. "Oh have you came for me?" "Where have you been?" Makes no difference if they know you or not. They may think your a long lost son. Goodness it has been five years since son came to see the poor old lady. You think I lie, heavens no, I know of such. "Are you going to take me home?" Now at this stage of these peoples lives, this can mean one of two things. Home being earth home, or Heaven. There is another thing that can be said. You go to visit someone who is trapped there. You may have a sack of goodies, cookies or candy. Some flowers you picked out of the flower beds at home. Your going to get this said. "Those flowers for me?" the sack of goodies the same thing. Now I have ended up at the one I was to see with less flowers, and less goodies.

You see the poor little old lady got a flower, a couple cookies, or some candy. You end up with a whole line of wheel chairs of people with the hand out. Some hasn't seen a friendly face in God knows when. So I have this to say. Mothers Day will soon be here. If you have a Mother, a Grand Mother in one of those places. Get up, make a batch of good old home made cookies. Go get a big arm load of flowers and trot your self to the place. Set and talk, hold her hand. Take a new sweater for her. She gets cold at times, she isn't a young girl anymore.

Remember this. Inside that worn old body, is a young girl of many years ago trying to break out. She remembers the care free days of so long ago. It was only yesterday, but here she is now all alone. WAITING to go home. Also remember this if you live long enough, you too will be there,,,, WAITING. How there is another Mother, Grand Mother setting, and waiting. She still is living at her home. Maybe it used to be your home too, when you were a lot younger.

When did you last stop by to see her? This is Mothers Day, why not now? Why not call her up and say, "Mother we will be over, and pick you up for Sunday dinner and we can talk, and go for a ride to see the budding trees, the spring flowers. Or maybe you would like to do something else."

You know maybe it would be the start of every Sunday, a family get together. You do know Mothers like to see the grown up children. They also like to see the grand children. I know of one Granny who would like for her grown children to come for a visit, and bring the grandchildren. Is it because we have other things to do on Mothers Day? There will be other days. The funny thing about there will be other days is simple.

The other days just never show up. Some day, the other days will be too late. She crossed to the other side to be with other family members, and her PUPPIES.

She got tired of waiting for other days. The young girl or lady [which ever she likes to be called at the time] escapes from the worn out body and went home to Heaven.

 ~**~**~  

Pride

Bill Walker

wildbill6807@yahoo.com

I was thinking about pride, or something to be proud of.  I think if a man isn't proud of two women in his life he is lacking something.  There may be others he would take pride in as well.  But the two persons that come to my mind first are two women.  He should be proud to say, this is my mother, the other would be his wife.  Now he owes much to both.

Without mother where would he be?  Well he wouldn't be; that is simple.  She is the one that brought him forth.  We read in the Bible, Mary brought forth a son and called him Jesus.  He thereafter called her mother.  He was proud of his mother. He worried about her, even on the cross, he worried.

A son or daughter should be proud, and honor their mother.  The Bible tells you so. That is written in stone by the finger of GOD.  Remember the ten laws given to Moses?  That was one of the laws.  Honor thy Father and Mother. Without them you would not be.  Guess that truism doesn??™t help the cause of same sex marriage. There will be no children by that type of marriage. And GOD wants children.

A man should take pride in his wife. He should speak well of her. He should be honored she married him.  He may not be the king or a prince even, but he should treat her as a queen.   He should respect her in all ways.  If he fails to do so, how can she respect him?

In years long gone the lady was in total charge of the running of the house. It was her office, her house, her place to keep running.  She was as some would say, "The Boss."   Men that respect the Lady of the house would say that with a grin.  Harry Truman was one such man. 

Which brings me to the next thing that a man should be proud of; his children, be it the child a son or daughter, or some of each.  I know of men that are happy the day the child comes into the world.   Years ago, a man would be seen passing out cigars the day he became a proud father. He might even be so taken by the birth of a child that he would give them to women.  I have no idea what they would do with stogies. Ha.

I have heard it said about a man.  He is a self made man.  Nothing could be more wrong. His mother made him and shaped him into being what he is.   His wife polished him. That is she will polish him if he loves and honors her.  I have heard and know of men that think they are perfect. Nothing could be more untrue.  The wife put the finishing touches on him.  I don't know how that related to a man that never found a wife. I guess the best thing here to say is being that I am one such man; I never got polished.

A man should be proud of his Wife and Mother.  And if he is blessed with children, and he isn't proud of those, he is lacking something in the brain department. A lady said to me something about being seen dining with a white haired lady.   I told her I was proud of my white haired Mother. I was proud to be seen dining with her.  Wish I could be seen with her again. And yes I took my hat or cap off at the table.  She would have killed me if I didn't remove it.

Well I??™m a story teller, not a writer. Never learned the art of fancy English. I

happen to live in Nebraska, but I??™m still Missouri. Never married, all the Dollies I

ever took a second look at was too smart. Now at 74, just turned that other day, I

figure they all home safe. I love Doggies and Dollies in that order. Lost my two

true friends this year, that be Tinker and Poo. So I found me a new one. This

time a little girlie Peke. She is a normal female. Got a mouth, talks all the time.

She will never be a great writers of stories like Tinker and Poo. They have

about 50 stories on HWS. And now writing back from Rainbow Bridge.

I just try to write about people, places and things best I remember. Have something

over 250 stories on HWS. under three names.