Thinking about my Mom

Easter 1964

This week I have thought a lot about my mom. Virginia Lee (Harris) Orr was born on January 7th, 1935 and she passed into God's arms in June of 1986. She never meet any of my children. Now that I have lived 10 years passed the age she was when she passed away I am baffled at how much she did cram into those short 51 years.

She married my Dad when he was 18 and she was 16 on August 4, 1951. In the picture about she was only 29. I was three and half. In 1966 our family moved to Susanville from Prineville, Oregon. She drove a station wagon full of girls, a dog and all our belongings that didn't go in the moving van. It seems like a very brave thing to me.

When my sisters were in high school she decided to finish school. She got her high school diploma the same year as my older sister. She work as a yard duty at my elementary school and decided to go to college to become a teacher. In the 1970s Chico State was giving out Life Time Teaching Certificates. She became a teacher at Lassen College in the Business Lab and later worked at Shasta College as a teacher in their Business Department. These are things that would be on her resume...

Her greatest passion was sharing God's love in church, women's groups and her home. The year I was born she began a Bible club for the neighborhood children. It was a weekly, after school Bible class with songs, stories and a sweet treat. Every school year she would canvas that neighborhood and asked if mothers would like their children to attend. For the next 12 years that was a part of my life with my mom. By the time I was 12 I lead the singing and she played the piano. She always said that she played for her own amusement.

She ran the church Children's Department and she ran the town Christian Women's Club. She was good at organizing people and delegating her authority. For many years I tried to be just like her. I have learned that I don't like to work as a team captain. If at all possible, I prefer to work alone. I like to encourage people and help them learn a task, but I don't feel comfortable leading the group. I like having supporting roles.

She was an amazing housekeeper. Our house was always spotless. I was a supporting character to that performance, but I would not have won any awards. My home is comfortable, but not spotless. Molly helps with making sure there are always plenty of spots....on the windows, the mirrors, the floor, my glasses...she likes to put her nose print on everything. It seemed our house was always coming up for inspection, it was that tidy all the time.

My mom was not a huggy person. However, she was concerned about my reading disability and I would like to think that drove her to be on my campus as a yard duty and later to get her teaching certificate. She was the one who realized I was dyslexic, but not until I was 16. She was studying one day and began reading out loud to me from her text book. I remember it as if it were yesterday. She said, "Now I understand why you couldn't read, now I understand why you get tongue tied when you are tired and upset." My thought at the time was, "better late than never."

I was thinking this week that I have followed in her footsteps in some ways the past five years. I am yard duty and a reading teacher. I am working on my teaching certificate. My motivations may seem different, but the fact are still the same. This week in my Children's Literature text book I read about how children with reading disabilities still have "abilities." Children who have struggled will have more empathy for others. I see that is my driving force. I really don't know what my mom's motivation was for her career choice. I never got to ask.

I left home when I was 19 and did not have a close relationship with my mom. We did the best we could with what we had, but I have been much closer to other older women through the years. I think that is common. I know adult women with very close relationships with their mothers, but  I know more who do not have close relationships with their parents. I love that although my children live far away we have Facebook messenger and I get to have almost daily interaction with them and get to see pictures and video of my grandchildren often.

My four year old granddaughter called me yesterday and we chatted on messenger. She got to see Molly and I got to see her lunch and talk about her going out to "Trick or Treat." After we moved to Susanville when I was six I didn't get to see my grandparents often. Phone calls cost money and we sent letters, but that wasn't the same as a video call. The letters I have from my grandmother's are treasures. The video calls with my grandchildren are expected pleasures.

Today is All Saint's Day. We talked about the people who have gone before us to their Heavenly reward. I like to think of my mom as being part of the "great cloud of witnesses" who watch over us. She and my grandparents are watching and cheering me on as I strive to have patience. WOW~ striving for patience seems an oxymoron. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.3 Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted.  Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV)