I had my mom’s Bible out again this morning. It is one of those gigantic Bibles that weighs a ton and is full of colorful pictures and illustrations. I am so thankful I have this Bible mainly because mom used to place keepsakes inside. (I shared the story of the olive leaf from the Garden of Gethsemane in an earlier entry). Today I found a thank you note that made smile/cry again. It read:
Dear Billie,
Thank you so much for the delicious candy. It was so good. But most of all though, thanks for being the person you are. You show your love for your fellow man in so many ways, and I know God will constantly bless you for your love and concern for all people.
Thanks so much!
Anyone who knew my mom would likely agree. She was constantly doing things for others. I used to watch her and wonder what motivated her thoughtfulness. It seemed like she went above and beyond and then some in many cases.
Now that I am older and a little bit wiser I understand it. I have that same desire inside of me, however my approach is different. I don’t take pots of homemade soup or candy to people. I don’t take older ladies out to lunch. I don’t throw parties at my home for pretty much every occasion like she did. She used to host Halloween parties for the adults at church at our house. My brothers graduation party and wedding rehearsal dinner were at our house. We had the big 50th wedding anniversary 3-day shindig for my grandparents at our house. My best friend got married in front of our fireplace and the wedding reception was in our dining room. Cookouts for my dad’s coworkers, luncheons for women she worked with at the hospital years before, an ordination reception for a church member, pool parties, get togethers for the neighbors. It goes on and on. There was always something to celebrate. And she always made it special for everyone in her unique way. When she wasn’t planning something she was helping shop for the food pantry at church or cutting roses from her garden and giving them to friends.
The woman was just plain full of love for the Lord and she wanted to share it with everyone.
But then there was her other side. When she wasn’t doing all of those things, she was chained down to the bed with bipolar illness and depression, an illness she battled her entire life. People throw the word “bipolar” around like it is a joke and to be honest, it really offends me when I hear it used improperly if I allow it. (I want to create more awareness and support in some capacity as part of my platform in the future). I lived with someone who suffered from this very real disease and trust me, it is NO joke. It is paralyzing when you are on the downward side of it. For mom, it was not a constant up and down. She was up for months at a time and down for months at a time. I imagined when she was feeling well that she tried to make up for lost time and overdid it in her giving sometimes if that is possible.
I write a lot about my mom and I probably always will because I love her and well, I miss her. Someone with such a good heart didn’t feel she was worthy half of the time. That thank you card must’ve been special to her because it truly described her heart. I have to wonder how she was feeling the day she received it and placed it in that Bible. Thankful, I will assume.
My point? When someone does something that is truly appreciated…thank him or her for it. You never know how much it might mean to them to hear it. I know that we are not supposed to give with expectation of something in return. But a simple THANK YOU doesn’t cost a dime. It is priceless and it could make someones day a bit brighter.
I receive messages almost daily and I TRULY appreciate it. Yesterday someone made me cry messaging me. We went back and forth…Friend: “Thank you!” Me: “No, thank you!!!” Friend: “No, thank you more!” Ha! Anyway it went something like that and reminded me of those…”No, you hang up first!” kind of phone calls. It made me giggle and filled me with joy. So, if you have someone in your life you feel like thanking…don’t hesitate!
I appreciate your continued support and encouragement and cannot truly express it in words. It is a feeling. And I thank you.
Blessings,
Stacey ~ iamalive