Mother's Day Tribute

Karl shared this picture last year on Mother's Day of the four of us with mom in July 1985, (twenty-seven years ago)!  And none of us have aged a bit!  

I never tired of holding mom's hand.  Oh, how I would love to have it wrap around mine for a few hours tomorrow.  This poem was a work in progress for several years, but I finally settled on this version in 2009.

My Mother’s Hands

My mother’s hands were soft and firm,

Measuring, stitching, guiding, and holding,

Hands that labored long and hard.

Measuring fabric at Ben Franklin’s,

Patching to make clothes good as new,

Tucking cash into my hand after a visit home,

Showing love for her family.

Frosting countless birthday cakes,

Shaping the crusts of pies lovingly filled,

Stitching special dresses long into the night,

Showing love for her family.

Guiding my footsteps on the gospel path,

Leading always by her loving example,

Holding me through troubles, joys, and sorrows,

Showing love for her family.

My mother’s hands were soft and firm,

Providing years of loving labor for loved ones,

My mother’s hands, a design for love.

Ramona Behnke

Mother’s Day 2009