Mama’s Birthday

 

What do you buy your Mother for her birthday when she turns 97 years old? We used to ask her, “What do you want for your birthday, Mama?” and she’d always say, “I just want my babies around me for my birthday.”

When we were kids, we made her cards or drew a pretty picture or embroidered a handkerchief.  After I was old enough to get a job, I remember the thrill I felt when I bought her something with my very own money.

She loved to celebrate our birthdays. We always got something for our birthday and usually got to eat out.  Since there were 4 of us kids, we ate out at least 6 times a year—once for each of us, once for Mama, and once for Daddy. We usually ate out for Daddy’s birthday even if he wasn’t home for the weekend, since he worked out of town. That seems so cute to me now, that we celebrated Daddy’s birthday without him.

We ate out usually on Sunday after church. And we seldom celebrated on our exact birthday. In fact, Mama always said that we celebrated our birthdays all month. I realized when I was grown that she didn’t always have the money on our birthday, so when she got the money, we celebrated.

I don’t remember any of the presents Mama got me for my birthday, but I haven’t forgotten the times we ate out.

How did Mama do it, raising four kids basically on her own, since Dad was gone so much? Well she kept us in church and in school activities, in Camp fire girls, and school plays, plus piano lessons. Two of us played in the band and two sang in the chorus.

What is the one gift that would make Mama the happiest on her birthday? Having all her babies around her one more time.

“When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. “  II Timothy 1:5.

Yes, my mama’s name is Eunice too, just like Timothy’s.