In Memory of Mama

 Today I have stopped to give grateful consideration to my Mom, who now watches over me from Heaven.

My Mom Donna, age 18

Graduation day for Mom.

My Mom overcame a life filled with being abused, and overcoming many other tragic obstacles.  She went back to school to become a teacher.  She did this as a divorced Mom of 4 young children.  She was very determined.  She was also a blessing in the lives of her elementary students.  They always felt loved and cared for by her, and loved her in return.

Here's my Mom and I.  The days of big hair!!

Before she died on her 66th birthday from congestive heart failure, nearly 9 years ago, she experienced many debilitating health conditions. And yet, she kept trying to go to church even when she was in a lot of pain.


I have many happy memories with my Mama---I remember the time she tried to take my little sister and I fishing and camping, but in the process of trying to teach us to fish, she tripped, and she was in so much pain.  She got us back in the truck, and tried to drive quickly back down from Yosemite back to Merced to get to a doctor.  She'd injured her ankle, and couldn't press the accelerator, so I had to use my leg from the passenger side to press the pedal during that crazy experience.  I remember being so disappointed that I couldn't learn to fish (nor did I until I was about 22), but I always felt happy that she had tried to make up for our not having a Dad.

My siblings and I.  I'm in the blue dress on the right.

Mom loved driving and visiting family.  We often found ourselves on long, but happy drives across the desserts of Utah and Nevada.

She also loved Der Wienershnitzal hotdogs.  We'd always go through the drive through, and then park and eat.  (No wonder I love to eat in the car!)

On Mother's Day she would give me little sister and I gifts (Like nail polish, lipstick, and eye shadow) ---just because she felt lucky to have such good daughters!

I learned to play the organ because she felt impressed to buy it at our local Chowchilla fair.  If I'd sit and practice the organ, she did my chores.  I still remember playing the old hymns, like "Amazing Grace" and "Abide with Me" while she stood at the kitchen sink washing the dishes (or as she said it, "warsh" or "warshing") and she'd sing along with me from the kitchen sink. (My Mom sang beautifully.)

My Mom saying goodbye to my first 2 children.  She couldn't
keep living in Hawaii with us, because she was not able to
get good medical care in the little town we lived.  She was so
sad to be saying goodbye to the children. :(

 She would sometimes make Chinese food (wantons) which I loved.   But more often than not, I remember eating a lot of hot dogs!

I still remember the beautiful sunny day when she sliced up some fresh garden tomatoes and salted them.  We were new from California, and I don't recall eating fresh garden tomatoes, until this day, when I was around 16.  She treated this as most delicious fare, and I too remember the savor upon my tongue and heart from that moment of her enthusiasm.

My Mom like keeping a supply of frozen peaches she had sliced in the freezer.  I remember many yummy peach shakes, which never failed to remind me of happy summer days in Chowchilla, where we enjoyed family time with homemade peach Ice Cream and four wheeling at the house of Pam and Craig Wood-members of our local branch.

This is the first and last time my Mom got to meet my H.
Mom died a few months later of congestive heart fail

My Mother!  A woman of faith, and courage.  A woman, for whom there always seemed to be a lot of uncertainty.  A woman who was willing to give up addictions (smoking and drinking) and live the Law of Chastity, and tithing to follow the Savior, by becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints.

I remember that she tried to speak very little to us of her worries to us her daughters.  She didn't want to burden us with her problems, which she said too many parents did with their children.





My Mom consistently testified that all that we suffer in this world only helps us to learn and grow.  She expressed that our suffering is something we would one day rejoice over, because she'd had very special spiritual experiences that had witnessed that to her. I now understand that more completely.  To become like the Savior, we must face fiery trials with faith and determination.



No words can express how thankful I am to follow in the path of the Savior Jesus Christ, because my Mom was willing to try and change her life.

She was not perfect, she made mistakes, she was terrible at finances and budgeting, and oh yeah, who can forget her moments of hot-headedness "Just let me out of the car, I'll walk home!"  haha... But Mama did the best she could, just like each of us.

I have a very strong testimony that we all make mistakes as people and parents.  We have great moments, and moments we wish we could take back, but we CAN'T.

I take complete comfort and hope in seeing that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, I can repent, and change my life.  In fact, even now, I am not same the woman I was two years ago. I've been able to turn my life around and make changes I never imagined possible.

The Savior can heal our heart of sorrows and anguish, and from sins and rebellion---if we turn our heart to Him, and learn to tune out the voices all around us, which tell us we can't be worth anything.

Here is my family at my Mom's grave

I am thankfully my Mom was willing to try---even when it didn't seem the odds were in her favor.  I love you Mom. Thank you for watching over me---even from Heaven.

Thank you for letting me know you are near with songs to my memory like "I love you a bushel and a peck!" or "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." You taught me to love music, and rainbows, and art, and Heavenly Father.  You were wise beyond your years, and you loved me unconditionally, and with tremendous patience! (And trust me, we both know that I tested it a time or two!!) You were the best Mom for me, and I wouldn't have had it any other way!

I look forward to the day when I can hug her and visit her in Heaven.  (But I'm not in any rush to get there~!)  For now, it's enough to take comfort from the scripture:

Jesus Christ

Isaiah 25:8

Old Testament

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.
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I hope you have found reason to consider with appreciate the influence of mother's. From your very own, to the lady down the street who taught you how to crochet, or other women who have fulfilled the place of Mom, when yours was unable to be there for you.

I hope you will take comfort in knowing that we will see our loved ones when our time is through here on earth.

I hope you will keep trying, even when it seems like it's not worth it. Life is worth living, and you are valued and loved, even if you don't recognize it.

My warmest regards, Christine