This week has been filled with news of the 100th birthday celebration of former President Jimmy Carter who was born on October 1, 1924. He holds the distinction of being the longest living American President and continues to command respect and media attention even though he has been in hospice for about nineteen months. His grandson, Jason, has kept the press briefed on his grandfather’s condition, especially since former First Lady, Roselynn Carter, passed away last year at the age of 96. The Carters were married for 77 years and met when Jimmy was three years old and Rosalynn was just a day old.
Four days after the birth of Jimmy Carter, another much more obscure birth took place in Chicago, IL. Yes, my mother was born 100 years ago yesterday. However, unlike President Carter, Mom is no longer with us, having passed away in September, 1988 of complications related to geriatric MS.
Mom was the only child of my maternal grandparents. And in many respects, she led a very charmed childhood. While their main home was in Beverly, where I grew up, Grandpa bought a 1600 acre farm in southern Michigan and raised horses. Mom could go up on the weekends and ride to her heart’s content. Her favorite horse, Tinkerbell, was the subject of more than several conversations throughout my childhood. Ironically, Mom was allergic to horses and every picture I ever saw of her on a horse included the requisite handkerchief to deal with the problems she encountered riding.
Mom attended Northwestern University and that’s where she met Dad. On hindsight, they were probably a somewhat unlikely pairing. Mom was in the theatre school and her classmates included Patricia Neal, McLean Stevenson, Paul Lynde, Cloris Leachman and several others of that most distinguished era. Charleton Heston was several years ahead of her. Unlike many of those who became stars in front of the camera, Mom preferred a behind the scenes role, dealing more with lighting and staging. However, Dad had already been in the Army and came from a much different background from Mom.
Dad never stayed in a hotel until he was in the Army and wasn’t allowed to play cards or work on the Sabbath. He grew to resent that strict upbringing and our home life was an amalgamation of worlds colliding. Even the jobs that Mom had before I was born reflected her tendency to desire the finer things in life. She worked in the 28 Shop at Marshall Field’s in downtown Chicago and was a classically trained pianist. She was always sure to be dressed to the nines and taught the three of us boys to deal with any situation into which we may be thrown.
Our family culture, mostly a result of Mom’s upbringing and experiences, were very instrumental in our appreciation of things that I am sure most kids weren’t exposed to. Even today, Janet’s and my girls remember outings with their grandmother and lessons they learned from her. Mom impacted everyone around her. She was quite a force in her day and nothing ever got in the way of her teaching her children and grandchildren proper etiquette and the way that things should be done.
That’s not to say that life was always easy with Mom. She was demanding and refused to lower her standards. One year, when Doug and I needed winter coats, Dad wanted to take us to Robert Hall. Mom was absolutely silent as Dad dragged us through the store, filled with thousands of coats on pipe racks. Dad picked out what he was willing to pay for and we headed to the car. We had never been in place like that our entire lives.
When Mom couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, claiming that her children would be cold that winter, Dad pulled back in the parking spot, took the coats back while we waited in the car; and returned empty handed. That was the first and last time we ever went to that store. Dad never questioned Mom’s decisions about clothes after that day. Never…
We were very privileged to have the experiences we had growing up. Mom influenced me in ways that I never even realized until I was much older. I have written before about her Sunday evening calls to me at 9:42 p.m. This was before the days of recording programs and how I remember being so upset that she was interrupting my show when it was just getting to the best part. Now, I would love to have that phone ring with Mom’s voice on the other end. I wouldn’t care what time it was.
So, 26 years after her death, I am thinking about all the ways that she has impacted the next several generations, mostly through the way that I was raised. At least, that’s what our children and grandchildren would say. Our verse for tonight is from the book of King Solomon’s Proverbs. While there are many verses that speak to the virtues and attributes of wives and mothers, King Solomon may say it best. He tells us, in Proverbs 31:25-29, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
Clearly, Mom was a remarkable wife and mother. My encouragement this evening is that Moms have a unique place in our lives. Hopefully, you have had a great experience with your Mom, or at least someone who has treated you like a son or daughter. My prayer is that we will continue, as parents ourselves, to instill the values and Christian life that most of us has been exposed to throughout our years. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…