She wanted to be a teacher…

[Sapphire Blue]

... but she had to quit school in the 10th grade; she had to go to work to help support her family. A few years later, she got married and had children of her own. When her children were still very young, her husband died. She raised her children mostly on Social Security survivors’ benefits and her husband’s pension, supplemented by part-time work on occasion. The children never had a lot in the way of material things, but they had what they needed. They never really stopped to think about how she did it; it just seemed natural.

She also cared for her brother, brain damaged years before from being beat in the head by the police w/clubs, until the day that he died. Her brother had his ‘peculiarities’, but the children just saw him as the uncle that they loved.

As difficult as life must have been for her, her door always remained open for others, be they friends, family, or strangers. She never turned her back on a living soul.

She loved to read to & with her children, take them to the park, and every summer, to the amusement park on ‘Pepsi’ day. And she took them to church every Sunday. They walked most places, sometimes rode the bus; they didn’t have a car. Riding the bus was a treat to the children... sitting in the back of the bus, the long bench seat all their own, the big window behind them, singing songs, loud & full of joy.

One by one, the children grew up, went out into the world, raised families of their own, becoming parents, then grandparents.

Several years ago, after a long debilitating illness, her children gathered round... all but her youngest daughter, who was too ill from chemotherapy treatment to travel. At 9:00 on a Saturday morning, the youngest daughter received a call from the oldest daughter; their mother needed their prayers in a very special way.

At 11:00, the youngest daughter, hundreds of miles away, sang a lullaby that the mother had sung to her when she was little... go to sleep my little buckaroo... she felt her mother’s presence, felt her arms surround her, felt as if she was bathed in an overwhelming love. Then she felt her mother leave. A few minutes later, her sister called to tell her that their mother had just passed away. The youngest daughter crumbled onto the floor, her soul searing in agony.

The youngest daughter still misses her mother terribly. Now, as she looks at her own children and grandchildren, she sees her mother in them... her love, strength, courage, beauty, wisdom, and compassion... lessons that she learned at her own mother’s knees.

You see, she was a teacher.

She was my mother.

[babylonsister]

1. Beautiful. Thank you, Sapphire Blue. nt

[renate]

2. what a beautiful tribute

Truly lovely.

:hug:

She must have been as proud of you as you are of her.

[uppityperson]

3. k&r for mothers and hugs to you Sapphire

[villager]

4. thank you.

All blessings...

[JANdad]

5. Beautiful My Friend!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. brouight tears to my eyes

She's smiling at you now, I believe. And yes, she was a great teacher.

[raccoon]

7. Great post. K&R. nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

8. Thanks Sapphire.

Well said, this reminds me how much I miss my parents too.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Beautiful tribute!

:hug:

[Raine]

10. Lovely...

a special woman and a special mother. :hug:

[ClayZ]

11. She was a teacher!

With your telling of her story, she just taught me.

K and R

[Sadie4629]

12. God bless you, Sapphire Blue

Your tribute to your wonderful mom brought tears to my eyes. My own mom passed away just a little over two weeks ago. I'm still processing it, and I haven't said anything on any of the Boards I post on. Your post touched me in a very special way.

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

13. Thank you!

What a beautiful post. Thank you so much for bringing your wonderful memories of your mother's love, strength, courage, beauty, wisdom and compassion to DU. You were lucky to have such an amazing mother.

[nashville_brook]

14. wow. thankyou.

[wicket]

15. Bless you

I'm bawling here :cry:

:hug:

K & R

[Booster]

16. K&R for a beautifully written tribute. Well done, Sapphire Blue.

[orleans]

17. i could cry. that was just beautiful, very touching. and you posted at exactly 11:00 my time. n/t

[roguevalley]

18. a quiet hero, your mom. one of millions of unsung people who make

the sun rise everyday with their courage and integrity and honor.

[ljm2002]

19. Sapphire, that was beautiful...

...what a touching tribute, and she sounds like she was truly a remarkable woman!

[libodem]

20. Darn you

you made me cry. I didn't expect that. I'm going through mother issues myself, right now. I read a pamphlet with her Monday about guardianship and conservatorship and choked up when I had to say the part about diminished mental capacity. Your essay is so sweet and touching. Bless your heart.

[proud patriot]

21. Blessed Be

:hug:

[Tsiyu]

22. She raised a great daughter

But you're going to have to stop posting these rec-able threads or I'll be here all day hitting the "yes" button....:hi:



To your Mom, the teacher :) :thumbsup:

[glowing]

23. That was very beautiful. I just lost my grandmother, my parttime mother,

and my best friend. I miss the oldness so much. The lessons, the songs, the way things used to be. The years of being poor and struggling and having so many blessings in the end. She never wanted for anything. She never complained or asked for more. I can only hope to be so stoic in my life. I took her recipes, a few paintings off the wall, a couple of warm VT sweaters that still have her smell. I know she's happy to see my grandpa again after 15yrs... but damn do I miss her. Sometimes something really beautiful comes to the top on this site and you realize why your here and how you got here and who inspired you. Thanks for this post.

[ceile]

24. Beautiful.

Brought a tear to my eye. :hug:

[racaulk]

25. This is a very touching post, Sapphire.

What a beautiful tribute to your mother. Thank you for posting this for us. :hug:

[CoffeeCat]

26. That was the most beautiful thing...

...I have read in a long time.

I've got tears streaming down my face.

I am so happy for you, that you had a wonderful mother like this. I'm also sad for you,
for your loss.

As a mother to two young girls---I only hope that I can be half the mother that your mother
was to you.

Thank you so much for that. I hope you are doing ok...as you move through this loss. I
think it's amazing that you felt her presence and then you felt her leave. Undoubtedly,
your souls were connected very deeply and she bid you good-bye.

I'm completely full of emotion and I thank you for sharing your story of your mother
with us, in such beautiful, heartfelt, touching words.

:hugs:

[The Doctor.]

27. Thank you. We need more teachers like her.

... and you.

[Madspirit]

28. beautiful...k&r...n/t

[Hepburn]

29. Oh, my......

....you gave me both tears and goose bumps.

[glitch]

30. She did well. K & R nt

[RFKHumphreyObama]

31. That was beautiful

Your mother sounds like a wonderful, beautiful and compassionate person -the kind of person we need more of in this world. I'm sure she lives on in the legacy of her kindness, compassion and love in the hearts and minds of those whose lives she touched. May she rest in peace.

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[redwitch]

32. How beautiful! Reminded me of a song by John McCutcheon

One in a Million


I remember that August
1963
A half million gathered
On our small TV
The moment was magic
With dreams in the air
My Mom watched in wonder
And said, “I wish I was there”

But there were babies to diaper
And a whole house to clean
So she watched the world change
On that black-and-white screen

She was one in a million
Who did her small part
And she carried that banner
Held high in her heart

She taught me the Bible
Each chapter and verse
How the meek shall inherit
And the last shall be first
She said, “God leaves God’s work
“To me and to you
“When you’re meek and you’re ready
“What will you do?”

Though she seldom traveled
Far from her front door
She watched the world change
In the children she bore

You are one in a million
You each have a part
Always carry that banner
Held high in your heart


Those children now scattered
Like ships on the sea
Mounting adventures
That she’d never see
I never once doubted
What she said was true
I saw miracles mounting
And small victories counting
And it’s all worth recounting
This work that we do

Each Mother’s Day sadly
I look to the chair
Now fifteen years empty
And wish she were there
So this year I traveled
As her eldest son
To a Washington March
Just as she would have done

I marched for the future
In a million mom sea
I was marching for her
I was marching for me

I was one in a million
Just doing my part
And I carried her banner
Held high in my heart

©2000 John McCutcheon/Appalsongs (ASCAP)
Kansas City, KS May 2000

[YellowRubberDuckie]

33. That is beautiful...

:hug:
I'm so sorry you lost your mother.
Duckie

[salin]

34. What an incredibly beautiful tribute

on that teaches while giving tribure. I hope that folks take your tribute and distribute it wildly - and share both the inspiration, and the realities of life when dealt brutal hands.

Thank you for sharing this tribute.

[DeSwiss]

35. Thank you for sharing that.

K&R

[NEOBuckeye]

36. Very beautiful. Thanks for sharing it. n/t

[tblue37]

37. What a lovely tribute! (eom)

[live love laugh]

38. I am sorry. n/t

[Highway61]

39. Thank you...Beautiful stories like that can only be written

by beautiful people. K & R

[DFW]

40. To elicit such tribute,

One can only say that she was a very successful teacher, indeed.

[malaise]

41. You have me in tears

What a beautiful tribute to your mum.

[kdmorris]

42. What a beautiful tribute!

Then again, your posts are certainly a tribute to the beautiful things your mother taught you.

I'm really sorry for your loss.