Lucy sat in her parlor searching the pages of her Bible. At fifty one she had lost her youngest daughter, Clara. Just three days earlier Clara had given her another grandson, her second. The strain had been too much however. Now Clara was gone. Her Bible had always given her guidance and comfort and would do so now. She read her Bible daily and today she would spend a little extra time in study and prayer.
Elwood, her son in law, was devastated. He had lost his own Mother when he was fourteen years old. His father was suffering from stomach cancer and was in and out of the Alms house. He had become friends with a man named Austin Bennett who practically raised him, at least after his Mom's death. Then he met Clara. They were married and had two sons, now Clara was gone. Elwood knew he couldn't care for a new born and a two year old. His heart was heavy. Lucy knew she would have to care for those children, and she searched her Bible for strength. There in Timothy chapter one, verse eight it says, " But if any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than a unbeliever. " So the path was clear, she would take those boys in and raise them. She had a fine big house, built by her father in 1899, she had plenty of room. She and Floyd, her husband, had raised their three girls in that home, two boys would certainly be a change. It was only to be temporary after all.
Three years passed and Elwood remarried. He had found another, Lina was her name. He went to his boys to give them the news, they could come home with him. Now this part of the story is shrouded in mystery, a family mystery. The boys remained with their maternal grandmother Lucy, never going to live with their father. Why this came to be is the mystery. Elwood would have two more sons with Lina. They lived in another town, just seven miles away, but the boys rarely saw their father, or their half-brothers. Oh he came to visit every now and again, special occasions, birthdays and the like, but he was Dad in name only. Those boys didn't remember their Mom, after all the oldest was only five now, his mother was a distant memory, more of a ethereal presence. There was a picture of a lady in a wedding dress that was their Mother, that's what Grandma said. But to those boys Lucy was mother. The years passed.
The youngest boy was seven now. He was always a little jealous of the other kids, the ones with a mom. He loved his grandmother very much but she was old. She didn't play hop scotch or tag like the other moms would. And she was just a little old fashioned, sorta strict. And Grandpa was old too. He did have his older brother but older brothers don't want to be bothered with kids! And today, today was Mothers' day. He always felt especially bad on Mothers day. The other kids had mothers, his had gone to heaven, as Grandma always said. She was with the Angels. He wished she was here, by the chicken coop.
So the little boy went to his room and sat at his desk. His dad had given him that school desk. He loved that desk, it had three drawers on the side and a slanted top. You could open the top and all your stuff was safely stored inside. It was his desk, he didn't have to share it. Opening the top he took out paper, scissors and crayons. Folding the paper in half he traced the outline of a tulip on that paper. Being careful to follow the lines he cut that Tulip out. He opened the paper and it worked, just like a real card. Sure you had to open it from the bottom, not the side like a book, but it worked. So he set to coloring that tulip, first one side then the other. Finishing that he opened the card and wrote this rhyme. He had copied it down from a card he had seen in the store, took him a while but the owner of the store, Mr. Mulligan, was a good friend of Grandpas', he understood. " I made this little card to say, I love you Mother in every way. "
The boy took that card downstairs to find Grandma. She was sitting in the parlor reading her Bible. It was something she did a lot! He took that card to her and presented it. Grandma was naturally touched and hugged the boy. He said, I sure wish I could give this card to my mom, as he looked at that picture sitting on the table beside Grandma. Grandma Lucy took that card and said, " I'll put it in my Bible, God will find it there and give it to her. " The little boy asked, " do you really think so? " Grandma Lucy assured him, I'm certain of it. The following year, 1932 the little boys father, Elwood, would pass away.
Now I know this because that little boy was my own father. He stayed with his grandparents until the day he left to join the war. That's WW2. That was 1943 for him. He was 21 years old. After the war he returned home. A picture of him, in his uniform, now covered that picture of his Mom. Grandma told him it was to keep them close, protected during the war. Grandmother Lucy would pass away in 1958. I was just five years old. Grandpa Floyd would live until 1968. Following that the desk was brought into my house, the desk that was Dads'. My sister has it in her house to this day. After my Dad passed in 1990 he was cremated and his ashes placed between the graves of his mother and father. Grandpa Floyd and Grandma Lucy are alongside.
I came into possession of Grandma's Bible. She had three of them in fact. They are all well worn, the pages dog eared and notes are in the margins. I held one and remembered how it was said Grandma read her bible very day. I don't really remember her, she is to me as my fathers mother was to him. an ethereal presence more than a person. I opened that Bible and thumbed through the pages. There in Timothy was the card. It has been there since 1931 and I can say remains there still. I think Grandmother Clara did get that card. I also think they are all together now, a family united.
Elwood, her son in law, was devastated. He had lost his own Mother when he was fourteen years old. His father was suffering from stomach cancer and was in and out of the Alms house. He had become friends with a man named Austin Bennett who practically raised him, at least after his Mom's death. Then he met Clara. They were married and had two sons, now Clara was gone. Elwood knew he couldn't care for a new born and a two year old. His heart was heavy. Lucy knew she would have to care for those children, and she searched her Bible for strength. There in Timothy chapter one, verse eight it says, " But if any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than a unbeliever. " So the path was clear, she would take those boys in and raise them. She had a fine big house, built by her father in 1899, she had plenty of room. She and Floyd, her husband, had raised their three girls in that home, two boys would certainly be a change. It was only to be temporary after all.
Three years passed and Elwood remarried. He had found another, Lina was her name. He went to his boys to give them the news, they could come home with him. Now this part of the story is shrouded in mystery, a family mystery. The boys remained with their maternal grandmother Lucy, never going to live with their father. Why this came to be is the mystery. Elwood would have two more sons with Lina. They lived in another town, just seven miles away, but the boys rarely saw their father, or their half-brothers. Oh he came to visit every now and again, special occasions, birthdays and the like, but he was Dad in name only. Those boys didn't remember their Mom, after all the oldest was only five now, his mother was a distant memory, more of a ethereal presence. There was a picture of a lady in a wedding dress that was their Mother, that's what Grandma said. But to those boys Lucy was mother. The years passed.
The youngest boy was seven now. He was always a little jealous of the other kids, the ones with a mom. He loved his grandmother very much but she was old. She didn't play hop scotch or tag like the other moms would. And she was just a little old fashioned, sorta strict. And Grandpa was old too. He did have his older brother but older brothers don't want to be bothered with kids! And today, today was Mothers' day. He always felt especially bad on Mothers day. The other kids had mothers, his had gone to heaven, as Grandma always said. She was with the Angels. He wished she was here, by the chicken coop.
So the little boy went to his room and sat at his desk. His dad had given him that school desk. He loved that desk, it had three drawers on the side and a slanted top. You could open the top and all your stuff was safely stored inside. It was his desk, he didn't have to share it. Opening the top he took out paper, scissors and crayons. Folding the paper in half he traced the outline of a tulip on that paper. Being careful to follow the lines he cut that Tulip out. He opened the paper and it worked, just like a real card. Sure you had to open it from the bottom, not the side like a book, but it worked. So he set to coloring that tulip, first one side then the other. Finishing that he opened the card and wrote this rhyme. He had copied it down from a card he had seen in the store, took him a while but the owner of the store, Mr. Mulligan, was a good friend of Grandpas', he understood. " I made this little card to say, I love you Mother in every way. "
The boy took that card downstairs to find Grandma. She was sitting in the parlor reading her Bible. It was something she did a lot! He took that card to her and presented it. Grandma was naturally touched and hugged the boy. He said, I sure wish I could give this card to my mom, as he looked at that picture sitting on the table beside Grandma. Grandma Lucy took that card and said, " I'll put it in my Bible, God will find it there and give it to her. " The little boy asked, " do you really think so? " Grandma Lucy assured him, I'm certain of it. The following year, 1932 the little boys father, Elwood, would pass away.
Now I know this because that little boy was my own father. He stayed with his grandparents until the day he left to join the war. That's WW2. That was 1943 for him. He was 21 years old. After the war he returned home. A picture of him, in his uniform, now covered that picture of his Mom. Grandma told him it was to keep them close, protected during the war. Grandmother Lucy would pass away in 1958. I was just five years old. Grandpa Floyd would live until 1968. Following that the desk was brought into my house, the desk that was Dads'. My sister has it in her house to this day. After my Dad passed in 1990 he was cremated and his ashes placed between the graves of his mother and father. Grandpa Floyd and Grandma Lucy are alongside.
I came into possession of Grandma's Bible. She had three of them in fact. They are all well worn, the pages dog eared and notes are in the margins. I held one and remembered how it was said Grandma read her bible very day. I don't really remember her, she is to me as my fathers mother was to him. an ethereal presence more than a person. I opened that Bible and thumbed through the pages. There in Timothy was the card. It has been there since 1931 and I can say remains there still. I think Grandmother Clara did get that card. I also think they are all together now, a family united.
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| This is the card |
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