Friday, July 17, 2009

Paper Momentos - Poems from Mom


I've been cleaning out drawers and closets this week and included in all that is a container and box holding greeting cards, notes, letters, and misc. wedding invitations and programs. I've been going through these items, trying to decide what to throw out as the pile has been growing over the years. Needless to say, I've been having trouble allowing myself to trash any of the precious memories contained in these various stationery items. How can I discard that heartfelt note of thanks written to me by my dear friend? Or the words of comfort written by another while my mom was here in our home during her dying weeks? Can I let the garbage man shred up any of the funny little notes or pictures my children wrote or drew when wee ones? I just can't. I'm afraid someone else will have to do it.

And then there are the greeting cards. Since I've been married, I have every card given to me by my husband and children. No way are they being trashed. It was when I started looking through the birthday cards my mom gave me over the years that I gave up on my initial project. Instead, I transferred everything into plastic ziploc bags for safekeeping. They may be just pieces of paper in plastic bags, but to me they are worth more than gold. There is no amount of money that anyone could give me that would surpass their value. They'll be worth very little to anyone else in the world, but to me they are priceless. So they stay for as long as I stay.

I found an extra blessing while going through my mom's cards. I forgot that in her later years she began taping poems to my birthday cards, poems which she had carefully cut out with pinking shears from some unknown source. I didn't appreciate those poems then nearly as much as now. Partly because she's gone, of course, but also because I appreciate poetry more as I grow older. So bear with me as I share with you a few of these poems from my mom in this and a few of the following posts coming up.

Some of the cards have the year recorded, but this one didn't. The card was a beautiful shade of pale blue/green and was entitled "A Daughter's Loving Ways," containing a lovely poem of its own, but these were the words lovingly taped to the left inside:

I can no longer grasp your tiny hand and lead you across a street,
Nor tuck you in at night against the chill,
Nor kiss your precious flawless baby face,
But, I can pray.

I can no longer take you to the House of God,
Nor read to you from His precious Holy Word,
Nor tell you what is right, and what is wrong,
But, I can pray.

For you are grown and from my constant care are gone,
To choose YOUR way and live YOUR life,
And be what you WILL in YOUR own way,
But, I STILL pray.

~ Mabel B. Rambo


And she did.

11 comments:

LisaShaw said...

Beautiful sharing Maxine.

I too have saved my cards from hubby and kids and also from closest friends and others who have crossed my path and left a life imprint.

I like your blog over here. Blessings dear one.

Cathy said...

Oh, that is so sweet, Maxine. I save cards like that too, drawers full. What a precious poem from your Mother.

TO BECOME said...

Oh, Maxine, that was so beautiful. I did this very thing just a couple of years ago. I came to the same conclusion that you have. If they are thrown away, it will have to be done by others but never by me. They all mean to much. I too found a page from the front of my my Bible where she had written some things that will always be so precious to me. I had a Blogger Friend, Jenn., who made them into Christmas hangings for me. I love them. Each year as I look at them, It is so special and now I always think of Jenn and her family. love you, connie

Maxine said...

Lisa, Cathy, and Connie. I can see I'm not the only one. I guess it's a woman thing. That's so special what your friend did, Connie.

Susan said...

Oh how beautiful...

Thanks for sharing this Maxine.

I save cards and letters too. I now cherish dearly the ones my mom sent before she went to be with Jesus.

Hope you have a blessed week ahead♥

Tammy said...

I save them too! That poem is lovely.

Mimi said...

you are blessed to have these memories...let some one else decide what to do with them after you are gone...keep them and love them...
(I do)

Beverly said...

Beautiful.

Patty said...

Thank you for sharing this...I was blessed.

Susan Skitt said...

But I can pray...

Lovely Maxine. Thanks for sharing those precious memories of you and your family, especially your dear Mom.

I love that poem and will bookmark it.

Love and prayers,
Susan

sparrow's song said...

How very precious to read these words that her heart so long ago bequeathed to you through love.

You always seem to touch my heart, Maxine, in one form or another. What a gift you are through Christ to this world.