Today is Mama's birthday. March 2, 1899. Some of you remember her, a lot of you don't. She was the only child of Samantha and Heber C. She was talented and industrious and little. I'm not sure why we called her "Mama" and not Mom. Maybe it was Daddy that set that pattern. I can still hear him say "your little Mama." She led choirs, taught piano lessons all the years I knew her, painted and wallpapered our house many times, and cooked fabulous spreads for their friends and ours. Most of all, she taught me the Gospel and helped me gain a testimony. She attended school in Preston, ID at the Oneida Academy. Her friends were Harold B. Lee, Ezra Taft Benson and many others. Her parents moved from Idaho to SLC so she would have more opportunities with her music. She died Sept. 23, 1979. I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. Some years ago Aunt Carol challenged me to write something about Mama. Here it is:
Dear Mama,
Life without you goes on.
Children grow up – ours have.
Grandchildren come – twelve so far.
I try to treat them like you did mine.
Missionaries come and go;
all five sons. But still it is life
without you. You and I
never said goodbye.
Goodbye Mama,
Your baby girl
I have so missed being able to share your lives with her. I know she knows about all of you and all of the great things you and your families are doing. It's hard to not be able to have conversations, though.
1 comment:
Thanks for writing it. My Lola is named for her, as you know. Her 40th birthday, Mama's 109th.
Yes, I still don't like it either. I think about her all the time, miss her all the time. What a little bundle of energy she was. No, never Mom, always Mama.
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