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Richard B.

A Mother’s Day Remembrance

Updated: Jul 15

Guest author RichardB. shares a story about his Mom.



North Ontario (NY) Methodist Church, a.k.a. the "Brick Church."


 I was in church the other day and the pastor was delivering the Easter message during the Children’s Moment. This is when he calls all the children to the front and tells a short story. This is particularly interesting to the kids since it usually involves props and participation by the littlest kids.


 Pastor was using those plastic eggs that you put candy and money into and then hide for Easter. He had one of the eggs in his hands to open and demonstrate how it was like the empty tomb at the resurrection of Jesus. He asked one of the 3 year-old girls what they would do if they discovered that the egg was empty like the tomb.


 She immediately bolted to the back of the church to her mother’s lap.


 Needless to say the church roared with laughter as the pastor sat there with his jaw on the ground not knowing what to do until he burst out laughing as well and called her back to give her an egg filled with candy.


 The point being is that mom seems to be the first place to go when things go wrong at that age.


 Being a bit older than a 3 year-old, I look to my mom whenever I can just because she’s good company. She’d do anything for her kids just like most moms do, but the biggest challenge I have is getting her to laugh. Not because she hasn’t got a sense of humor, but because she has a hard time getting a joke. Everyone else in the room will be rolling on the floor, but she usually sits there and smiles over a joke with a lost look on her face. The other thing she does is try to add a rational explanation to a story being told after the punchline arrives. Then we sit there puzzled as to how “that one got by her.” So it has become a family thing to see if we can get mom to laugh.


 She has a wonderful laugh.


 My sister and I did get the best one out of her in a long time. And where was it? Church…


 We may burn for this.


 Once again the Pastor was having children’s moment up front, but this time it was with the help of one of the ladies who was teaching the children a few simple sign language gestures. The primary one was saying “I love you.” This consists of folding your middle finger and your ring finger down while extending the thumb, forefinger and pinky out as far as you can.


 As the lady was doing this she was showing examples of using this universal gesture in everyday use. “I love you mom. I love you dad. etc.”


 Mom only has 9 fingers. She lost one in the chain of a swing when she was a little girl. Guess which one?


 Yep the pinky...


 Now when she goes to say “I love you.” It changes to the American Sign Language for “Loser”.


 She started practicing in church.


 My sister Jen and I started to lose it.


 The muffled laughter pushed out of us bit by bit and mom was a bit irritated. I leaned over and explained to her that she was saying “You’re a loser” because she was sans pinky.


 She started in with the muffled laughter and could barely contain it. It escaped as a full blown laugh for just a second or so, but it was good to see it. Pastor glanced at us in reproach so we tried to let it go.


 Mom in her typical mom way leaned over and promptly told Jen and me. “I’m a left handed speaker.” (She is missing the pinky on her right hand.)


 Jen and I lost it.


 After church as pastor stood at the door to shake hands with everyone, he smiled but gave us that "What was that?" look. We just returned the smile and kept the line moving.


 Anyway, getting your mom to laugh is probably one of the best Mother’s Day gifts you can give.


 Why?


 You do it together.


 So if your mom is available, send her a laugh for Mother’s Day. If she isn’t of this earth anymore, send her a smile. She’ll like that. All moms like to see their children happy.


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