My hero

I have a hero, a person I admire. Someone who was real.  This person happens to be my mom.  She no longer walks this earth.  She walks streets of gold and that vision makes me smile.  Mom has been gone for over three years.  When she died I sighed a breath of relief.  She suffered from alzheimer's.  It was sad to see the progression of this disease that robs people of the one they love before they are even gone.

 My mom was so amazing.  She worked harder than anyone I know.  As a farmer's wife she was a lover, mom, cook, washer woman, cleaner, animal caretaker, gardener, mender, doctor, teacher etc.  The list is endles as I write and think about all she did.  As the seventh of eight children, I watched her do her thing for many years and didn't always appreciate who she was. She was too quiet for my taste and I wished she had spoken her mind a bit more.  There were things about her that made me mad as a child, such as not giving me what I wanted when I wanted it. :( She made me work when I just wanted to do my thing. However, I always felt very appreciated by her.  She knew my LOVE LANGUAGE even before that book was ever written.  She would affirm my work with words of affirmation. I ate it up.And looking back I see she did give me so much leisure when I could have done so much more to help her.

Mom was a very smart woman.  She read a lot.  She cared so deeply about peoples salvation, especially her family.   Spunky would describe her as she'd go through hay tunnels that my friends and I had made when I was in 7th grade. (Mind you she was in her 50's)  I know she probably didn't really want to, but she saw how excited we all were for her to comply.   She played games with me. She loved scrabble.  She watched I LOVE LUCY with me when I was going through that awkward age and just needed to be cuddled and loved.  Oh, and remember the times tables in school?  Well she helped me learn those by placing the difficult ones in imaginary places in the kitchen so I would remember them.  "Ok, Sharon 6x6 =36 is on the telephone." Strange you think but it worked for me.
Joyce Duesterhoeft was green before anyone ever heard of going green.  Recycling, saving, eating healthy, antioxidants from grape and apple seeds, vitamins, we were cutting edge.  I certainly did not give her the credit she deserved. 
Of course after I moved away from home and had kids of my own, I missed her and appreciated how wonderful she is at a whole new level.  Now grand mothering was something she was Top of her game at.  Just ask my girls. They thought Grandma hung the moon.  She cured my oldest daughters wart on her leg by rubbing an onion on it.  It really worked! She loved them so sweetly.
She's been on my mind so much lately.  I realize her quiet and gentle spirit is more what I should have. 
I think God was so very pleased with the life she lead.  She spoke truth.  She never lost her temper that I remember.  She didn't need to be the center of attention but was always paying attention and listening.  She was faithful in her marriage. She didn't drink or smoke.  She didn't watch ANYTHING questionable.  She was the real deal.  Her life was a book that I am reading over and over in my mind. And it's about a woman of impeccable quality, selflessness, and love. I only hope someday my life could be a book half as good as hers.  I will keep trying to be like my hero.

                         An adventure with a grand daughter.                 

                                                Mom and Dad working hard on the farm.

                                     Mom just taking time to love on one of her grand daughters.