Today is the tenth anniversary of my Mom's journey to Heaven, so with that in mind, I wanted to share a few notable facts about her, for anyone who's interested. Here we go...
- She once traveled to Brazil, as a young adult.
- She was a military brat, and the eldest of seven kids.
- Her hobbies included drawing, singing, assembling puzzles, and (apparently) swimming.
- As a child, she used to sing me to sleep and play with my curly, fire-red hair.
- She valued education, having only completed one year of college herself.
- Some of her earlier jobs included police dispatcher and convenience store clerk.
- She was very faithful in her love for God and Jesus, but not legalistic.
- She nicknamed me her "big ol' bear", since I loved giving and receiving hugs.
- Her favorite musicians included Randy Travis, The Carpenters, Amy Grant, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
- Her favorite holidays were Christmas, Easter, and the Fourth of July.
- She loved watching fireworks, though few places existed in Dallas for safe displays.
- She wore a lot of blue and purple in general.
- She generally disliked having her photo taken, especially on a whim.
- Her favorite video games were Mrs. Pac-Man and Tetris.
- Her favorite table games were Scrabble and Canasta.
- Her favorite movie was "Phenomenon", starring John Travolta.
- She enjoyed cooking, especially making cookies by hand.
- She never wore a lot of jewelry, but she did have a small silver cross (which is now mine).
- She loved collecting both dolls and stuffed animals...especially puppies and teddy bears.
- She was employed by the Coca-Cola company for 14 years, in their credit department.
- She was easily shocked, which my sister and I took full advantage of multiple times.
- When very angry, she would address someone by their first and middle name.
- She named me partly after my Uncle Larry, whom she considered an honorable man.
- She cited actress Lauren Bacall as the inspiration for my sister's first name.
- Before I was born, she'd fallen in love with her stepmother's brother, who sadly passed from a brain injury.
- She shared the same first initial with all three of her sisters.
- Her middle name was the same as her mother's.
- She won a local advertising award as a high-school senior in the late 1970s.
- When stressed, she often journaled to keep herself from exploding at people.
- She verbally sparred with her mother, which amused me since both had very similar temperaments.
- When shopping, her list was almost irrelevant. She'd write down ten items, and leave with thirty.
- One Christmas, she wrote and hung this sign on the tree: DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING UNTIL I WAKE UP!
- On my 18th birthday, she taped eighteen one-dollar bills end-to-end, and draped them across the refrigerator.
- I was born premature, and the hospital only let her stay for a short time...but she still made it back to see me almost every day, until my release six weeks later.
- She was no saint, but she had one of the biggest hearts of anyone I've ever known.
- Last but never least, I know she loved me the best she knew how.
