Drum Roll, Please

Happy Birthday to my sweet mother-in-law!

She is beautiful inside and out.
She is ninety-four years old today.

My DIL asked, "Can we get her a parade?"

What a great idea! Wouldn't that be fun!

There would be marching bands, floats,
horses, and large balloons!

I'd be standing and cheering!

Let me tell you about this special woman.

My Mom [by marriage] is Generous

• Generous in smiles and laughter
  
• Generous in forgiveness and kind words


• Generous in time—always ready to listen and encourage


• Generous in acceptance and love and affection not only for her children but also for her children-in-law and grandchildren and great grandchildren and friends and pastors and teachers.


• Generous in praise—for all of those listed above and for any people doing a nice job at church or in the grocery store or those cleaning the apartments.

My Mom is Careful.

• Careful in her words, in relationships.
  
• Careful and attentive to details when reading and listening.


• Careful and observant and delighted in all things around her—a rock, a bird, a leaf, the color of the sky . . .


• Careful when preparing food—cutting vegetables in the small pieces.


• Careful in cleaning—getting every small smidgeon of dirt.


• Careful and wise when it comes to truth.


• Careful when bandaging either a literal or a figurative wound.

My Mom is gentle, faithful, effectual and faithful in prayer, forgiving, hopeful, patient, insightful, intelligent, kind and loving. There are just not enough words to describe this woman that I love.

A mother [-in-law] of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. . . She brings good, not harm, all the days of her life. . . She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. Her children [including daughters-in-law] arise and call her blessed. . . ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’”

—from Proverbs 31