I would like to share with you, a little bit about my mother. She was a beautiful woman both inside and out, and if I sound prejudiced in saying that, I guess it is because I am.

Her life was not an easy one. She married my father when she was just 16 years old.(Still a child herself) Nine months after they were married, she gave birth to a baby girl who was born with spinal bifida. This little girl lived 6 months in the hospital before dying. She was never to go home with her mother. Then my father enlisted in the Army, and spent time in both World War II, and the Korean War. She gave birth to three more children. I was the last of the three.

Four months before I was born, her father died.

During the time of my birth, my dad was in Korea. She and I both almost died. I was three days old before she ever saw me or held me, and at the same time she had two more children waiting for her at home. It was three more months before my father returned home from the war. These were very hard times for both of them. For many years mom had to be both mother and father to the three of us children. They lived through the years of the depression. The stories she could tell of those days!

She had a wonderful sense of humor and her home was filled with all the great aromas of baked pies and cakes. (She made the best lemon meringue pie around!) Her family always came first. I can remember when I was about 7 years old, she had only two cotton dresses. Both she made herself. One was a small brown print and the other was a blue print.She would wear one one day and be washing the other one for the next days wear. But, come time for school to begin in the fall, all three of us children would have new clothes on our backs. We always came first.

My mom loved to camp and fish...even though she wouldn't eat the fish! :) She loved to walk the shores of Lake Superior and hunt for agates. Then she would take them home and put them through her stone polisher. Sometimes she would make them into jewelry, other times she just put them in glass jars to look at their beauty. Yet, other times they just sat around in jars and bags because she couldn't find the time to do them.

My mom was diagnosed with Diabetes several years ago, and a year and a half ago, her kidneys quit functioning. She then went on Dialysis. As her health continued to deteriorate, we had to put her into a nursing home this last December. In April her beloved husband and my loving father passed away from cancer. He was 80 years young. In four short months, she was moved from her home of 48 years and lost her husband of 60 years. It was just too much to lose in such a short time and she started to give up. On September 28th, 2001, (this was also her 61st wedding anniversary) she stopped taking dialysis treatments, knowing this was going to give her just a few limited days of life left. Ten days later, she passed away quietly in her sleep. She wanted to be with my father once again, and now she is. I know she is now at peace and pain free for the first time in many years. I was so blessed to have her as my mother. I was also able to be with her at the end as I was with my father, and she died holding my hand again like my father. Her biggest fear was that she didn't die alone...and she didn't.

Since her passing, I have found two poems that she had written to my father, the first one was written July 3rd, 1940. She was 15 years old, and just 2 1/2 months before they got married. The second one was written while he was away in the army. (January 13th,1944). I would like to share these poems here with all of you. I know they will give you some beautiful insight to a very beautiful woman who truly loved her husband and family.





TO YOU..


To you I give joys of
worlds unknown,
Of forests and gardens
where love is sown.
To you with all your
beauty fair
I give the sea, the land,
the air.
I give you, too, the sun
that beams.
I give you reality of
golden dreams.
I give you love forever
true.
All this and more I give
to you.

Author:Donna Stubbs
(July 3,1940)





TO ELMER

Comes a moment when day
is ending
And I sit alone with my
thoughts.
A feeling o'er me comes
stealing.
A feeling that lightens my
heart.

For there in the darkness I
see you.
And I hear you calling my
name.
Tho' there's many a mile
between us,
To me, it's a sweet refrain.

I hear you speak so
gently
And then you hold me tight
Next moment my arms are
empty.
You are gone again in the
night.
Still I know that I've not
lost you
For tomorrow's another day,
Each night I will be waiting-
For my name to hear you say.

Author: Donna Hayes
(January 13th,1944)




I have met so many wonderful people on the internet! And so many of you have sent me beautiful words of comfort and compassion. The following poem was sent to me from one of these very special people. His name is Dennis Hopkins and he has graciously given me permission to use this wonderful poem that he had written for his own dear mother who passed away in June of 2000. His words truly come from the heart!! Thank you "d"!!!



Merry Christmas

I had a frightful and empty dream last night
that you weren't here for Christmas this year
And then I awakened in a state of trepidation
with the realization that the dream was true.
Oh, how I miss your smile and laughter
which could light up the world for me.
Your gentle ways of encouraging me
gave me strength to pursue my goals.
I still remember so vividly the last time
we were together just as I had to leave
I know we both understood it would be
the last time we would see each other.
You were sitting in your special place
and you seemed so fragile and tired.
You were suffering with so much pain
and we both tried so hard to ignore it.
I cried as I drove away that spring day
knowing there was nothing I could do.
I prayed that your time would come soon
as I know you had prayed that it would.
And sometimes our prayers are answered
for you crossed over peacefully in your sleep.
And, I miss you mother, more than I could know
until you were no longer in this world of ours.
But, unlike we temporal beings who seem to invite
and welcome Christmas into our hearts but once a
year,
You are now in a realm where Christmas is perpetual
and love is truly unconditional and the absolute
reality.
I can imagine you running along the shores of forever
playing with others with childlike wonder and delight.
And as you gaze ino the heavens, you are blessed
with
all the bright, shining stars as your ornaments
forevermore.
Then I am filled with awe and joy that you live there
now
and I want to wish you a very Loving and Merry
Christmas.
For I'll always believe that you're looking down upon
me
with the same love and beautiful smile I knew as a
child.

Author: dennis j hopkins
mrseven@netropolis.net




He Only Takes The Best


God saw she was getting tired
and a cure was not to be.
So, he put his arms around her
and whispered, "Come with Me".

With tearful eyes we watched her
suffer and fade away.
Although we loved her deeply,
We could not make her stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,
hard-working hands put to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best!

Author Unknown


In Loving memory of my mother, I want to leave you with these words that were also sent to me from a dear friend who had these words inscribed on her grandparents headstone:

Love leaves behind more than Death can ever take.

Thanks Cathi for sharing these beautiful words of comfort. They are so true. My memories of my mother will never die.

These roses are for you Mom!



In Loving memory of my Beautiful Mother who will be sadly missed until I meet her again.



Donna (Stubbs) Hayes
1924-2001




Note: The Christmas Teardrop was found at: www.wtv-zone.com/skye/XMAS-TEARDROPS.html

Thank you Skye for the use of this beautiful image!!