By JANET HART LEONARD
From the Hart
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!
It’s your second Mother’s Day celebrating in heaven, but I want you to know we are still celebrating you here in our homes and in our lives.
My goodness, you are so missed. So many times, I hear some news and my first thought is, “I need to call Mom,” but I can’t. I still keep all your phone numbers in my contacts. I always will. I keep your voicemails but haven’t been able to listen to them … yet.
I hope you can see through the veil of heaven and know that I finished that book I promised you I would write. It’s dedicated to you and Dad. In the dedication, I thank you for loving me. You did an awesome job of loving me well. (And maybe spoiling me a bit.) I still hear your words of encouragement, “Janet Kay, you can do this!”
I write about how you were raised and how you raised me. I can’t tell my story without telling yours. Both you and Dad have fascinating stories for me to share. Some chapters were difficult for me to write as they were painful and some of your memories were about hard times. Yet, you always saw the good in life and people … well, most people. There were the funny turned ones!
You persevered. You loved. You prayed. You shared your faith. You showed me how God could be good … even in the hard times.
The faith you showed me, while I was growing up, was better than any sermon I ever heard. Lord knows, I heard plenty of them. The fifth row, organ side was “our pew.” Sacred space. I saw you smiling as I played the organ every Sunday morning and evening for worship. You knew I hated those seven years of piano lessons. I guess they paid off. As uncoordinated as I was (and still am) I was able to get my left foot placed on the floor pedals to create harmony with my hands on the keys of the organ. Doing so might have been a small miracle.
There has still been no miracle when it comes to my sewing or crocheting or quilting. Nope, not going to happen. I do bake a lot. I think my meringue gets higher and higher. Perhaps it’s trying to get your attention in heaven. Thank you for teaching me to make a chocolate pie when I was 12 years old. Chuck thanks you too!
This spring there have been a male and female redbird visiting our birdfeeder. You know what I’m thinking. Love those visits from heaven.
I’ll be working in my flower garden this week. I moved your rock garden to my house. It sure makes me smile when I walk by it. Memories of watching you tend to your flowers hug my heart. I put new flowers on your and Dad’s headstone. Matthew says he will always keep flowers on it when I’m no longer around. Thank you for buying me a burial plot for my birthday a few years ago. Quite the unique gift! One row back, two plots over from yours.
I write in my book that I hope you can see the good things through the veil of heaven. You have a new great-great-grandson coming in August and you have a new great-great-niece who is named “Audrey,” after you. I sent her one of the sock dolls with a crocheted dress that you made. See, Mom, your legacy is continuing for generations. Those babies will hear your story and now they can read them in my book coming out around Dad’s birthday, later in May.
I hope I’ve made you proud as I was sure proud to be your daughter.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I’m sure glad God allowed me to be your daughter.
Love,
Janet Kay
Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). Visit janethartleonard.com.