May 25th would have been her 95th birthday. Happy birthday, Mom.
I think often of her final days in palliative care. I remember being bedside, holding her hand, and feeling her breath on my face. I cherished that closeness, knowing it was a privilege for which I would one day ache. I was right.
I always told Mom that she was a one-person party. She certainly was. Her one-liners and silly quips kept me in stitches. She came by her wit quite naturally; her wonderful parents, Harry and Bess, were both quite clever and were loads of fun. As we, my siblings and I, congregate today, we often repeat her funny stories and quirky sayings. We laugh all over again.
Like most mothers, Mom lived sacrificially and worked hard. But I think back on the dramatic change required of her when she married – moving from Cincinnati to a small Nebraska farm – and am amazed at how beautifully she adjusted. Life was not easy. From back-breaking farm work to needing to pick up whatever small jobs she could to supplement income, she took it on without complaint. Her sense of humor, love for her family, and strong faith sustained her through the hardest of times.
Later in life, she would face a crushing blow in the form of a divorce that she neither requested nor wanted. I learned to understand more fully Malachi 2:16 (God hates divorce). Again, her faith was her anchor, with Scripture pointing her to what was true, right, and just. She walked with grace through this trial.
In 1989, my niece Jenny, a gymnast, fell at cheerleading practice, severing her spinal cord. This resulted in permanent quadriplegia. Mom sold her Arizona home and moved to Louisville to help with Jenny’s care. Mom’s assistance enabled Carol, my sister, to continue working. She drove Jenny to high school and then college classes. She helped in any other way she could. She was a beautiful example of loving service.
In 2006, Mom and Jenny went to Costa Rica on a mission trip. Mom was 82 years old. How cool is that? After the mission work (wheelchair distribution) was completed, they both went ziplining through the mountain forest! I believe it was at this point that Mom was dubbed “Coolest Grandma.”
One day while Mom and I were sitting in her small apartment here in Louisville, she told me she believed the Lord was calling her to “believer’s baptism” (immersion).
While she had been baptized as an infant, she deeply desired to take this step of faith. She was 89 years old. The arrangements were made, and she followed through! Then we were off to celebrate at Graeter’s Ice Cream, her favorite hang-out.
My mom’s servant heart, devotion to family, zest for life, and unshakable faith in Jesus made her someone who was (and is) truly worthy of honor.
Happy birthday to Betty Jane (Bertram) Carter, a legacy leaver to four daughters, eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.
Joy in Jesus,
Jacquee