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Saturday, May 11, 2013

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

This is a repeat of a past Mother's Day post.  Some of you have already read it. I do not expect you to re-read it. It is just what was on my heart today, and I wanted to re-publish it.

In my previously published post, I served tea with this story. Therefore, the post is accompanied by photos of my tea.



FULL RM


Two little girls, ages two and three, huddled together on the steps in front of the brick building. They sat very still, being careful to not wrinkle their new dresses. The older girl held the younger girl’s hand in her lap and watched intently as each vehicle approached. She put on her best smile as a lady climbed from the car and walked briskly past them, without even a glance in their direction. The girl’s smile drooped, and a worried look crossed her face. Through the open window, she could smell the breakfast sausage and hear the clatter of dish clean up in the kitchen. She began to wonder if they would eat good meals at “the new place” (as she had begun to call it in her mind). She glanced at her little sister, and for the umpteenth time that morning, wished that she, like her sister, was young enough to not understand what was happening.

The orphanage lady (in her head, “orphanage lady” was what the child called the director) had explained to her that new parents would come take them away today. New parents! A man and a woman whom they had never met! Although the sun was shining brightly and they were wearing their new sweaters – one pink and one blue – a shiver ran down her spine. Of course she was worried about “the new place” and the new parents, but she was even more worried that they would pull up in a big car; get out and take a look at the girls, and decide they didn’t want to take them after all. The orphanage wasn’t a bad place, and she didn’t mind staying there. The fear she was fighting was that of not being wanted. Most of the nice looking couples who came to the orphanage wanted one of those little babies that was always crying in the nursery room.


TEA TRAY



Her mind drifted to the old lady’s house. She had no idea how long they had been staying in the tiny white house with the fragile looking old lady who told them to call her “Gram”. There were no toys in the house, but the kind old lady took out a jar of buttons and let the girls sit at the kitchen table, gluing the buttons to paper. On the kitchen wall, there was a calendar with a picture of Jesus. It seemed to be the only ornamentation on the walls of the little house. There was one child-sized rocker in the living room, and the two girls had fought over the right to sit in it. Gram cooked everything they ate in one pot on the stove. It was poured into bowls and eaten with crackers. Gram called them Saltines, and she put two on each of the girl’s plates.



TEA CUP



At night, Gram put the two girls in a big bathtub and told them to bathe. The older girl helped her sister bathe, and Gram usually called from the other room, “make sure you wash behind your ears”. When they had dried themselves, Gram pulled a long white nightgown over the head of each girl, and sent them to sleep in a room across from her bedroom.


Through the open door, the older girl watched as Gram took down her bun and brushed hair that looked just like the old lady – very thin and very brittle – as if it might break at any moment.



TEA POT


The last night at the home of the woman, they were shocked out of sleep by a loud banging on the door. The two girls sat up in bed and watched as the old lady shuffled to the door. They could hear someone shouting, “Police Officers”. The girls crept from their bed, and hid behind the partially opened door as they watched the two policemen talking quietly to the old woman. To their shock, the old woman suddenly sat down in the floor and began sobbing. They ran from their room to console her – or maybe to console themselves in their fear. One of the men’s eyes widened when he saw the two little girls. The men helped Gram into a chair and one of the officers tried to distract the children with his car keys and a flashlight. The other officer spoke in soft tones to Gram, as she nodded her head in agreement.



NAPKIN


The old woman tried to speak to the two little girls, but the words wouldn’t come out through her sobs. The policeman told the older girl that the old woman wanted them to go with them in the police car. The girl wasn’t frightened about going with the police, but she did feel that she needed to stay and help this fragile woman, who was still sobbing loudly. Knowing that she couldn’t abandon her little sister, she walked out onto the porch, still hearing Gram’s sobs. It was hard to think of the old lady, crying all alone in that empty little house.


Seated in the back seat of the police car, the girls didn’t respond when the police officers tried to talk to them, and except for chatter on the police radio, the car became quiet. The younger girl quickly fell asleep as they rode, but the older child stayed awake, looking out the car window as they passed farm houses with no lights in the windows and then approached some larger buildings, much closer together than the farm houses she was accustomed to seeing. Some of the buildings had lights on inside, and the girl noticed more cars on the streets. She heard cars honk their horns, and she wondered to herself why they were honking.



VASE


When the car stopped, one policeman picked up the sleeping little girl and carried her up the steps of a big brick building. The older girl followed closely behind her sister. She heard the policeman say to the woman at the door “parents killed in a truck wreck”.


That is how the two little girls eventually ended up sitting on the steps of the orphanage in their blue and pink sweaters, waiting for new parents to arrive.



PIC W SAN2



Yes, the older little girl was me (Obviously, I didn’t miss any meals at the orphanage!). That day, my little sister, Julie, and I went home with wonderful, loving parents. I don’t know how much of this I remember and how much of it I dreamed, but all of it feels very real to me.

I thought that Mother's Day weekend was a good time to re-post this, since my sister and I were so blessed to go home with such a wonderful Mother that day. 


 
I miss you every day, Mother. 

Thank you for indulging me in a re-post to celebrate Mother's Day.  I wish all of you Mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day.  If your Mother is still with you, give her a hug for me.  laurie 

I am linking to Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper.

18 comments:

Laurie @ Vinyet Etc said...

This story had my heart pounding! I was so afraid for those two little angels! Your Mother was beautiful and I am so thrilled that you two sweeties found a place to belong and parents to love and adore you! Happy Mother's Day Laurie, thank-you for the most beautiful story! :')

~Laurie xo

FABBY'S LIVING said...

Oh sweet Laurie, what a heart felt story you shared with us! I am blessed to have come and read this..you can repost your lovely story every Mother's Day if it's for me, as I love it, specially the very happy ending and the beautiful mother and beautiful little girls it involved! Happy, happy Mother's Day for you and yours.
FABBY

FABBY'S LIVING said...

OMG, I forgot to mention how pretty your table is with such lovely china and the flower vase is gorgeous too! xoxo
FABBY

Confessions of a Plate Addict said...

I love this story, Laurie...your story. You tell it so beautifully and with so much heart. I think it should be your Mothers Day tradition to repost it. I am sending big Mother's Day hugs....Debbie

Glenda/MidSouth said...

I remember this story/post, and when I started to read it again the tears appeared - again. So, I had to stop reading. Two very fortunate, little girls to have such a wonderful, caring, loving adoptive Mother.
Wishing you a wonderful Mothers' Day and sending (((hugs)))!

Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...

Oh Laurie,
This story is a tear jerker with a happy ending.
You have a gift for writing my dear, just one of your many gifts indeed.
Hugs and Happy Mothers Day to you!!
Cindy

Palomasea said...

Dearest Laurie...you have brought me to tears, sweet friend.
Bless you...
Love and and a big hug from me.
Wishing you a relaxing and lovely Mother's Day....
- Irina

Sarah said...

Laurie, I'm glad you shared this again. It is a beautiful story of heartfelt love. Makes me tear up just thinking about this. Happy Mother's Day, sweet friend. ~ Sarah

Debbie said...

I remember that story but I enjoyed reading it anew. I'm so glad that you were blessed with a new set of parents to love you.

Happy Mother's Day, Laurie.

Debbie said...

I remember that story but I enjoyed reading it anew. I'm so glad that you were blessed with a new set of parents to love you.

Happy Mother's Day, Laurie.

Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...

Laurie, this story comes back to me each time I visit your blog and see your beautiful face. I'm glad you shared this again. xo Debbie

Tricia said...

Laurie, so glad you reposted this wonderful -- and wonderfully written -- story! SO perfect for Mother's Day!

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Laurie this is such a beautiful story and I'm so glad you shared it again. Out of tragedy came a warm home and loving parents. Big Hugs, Linda

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Oh this is so sweet. It made me cry. What a beautiful post. Happy Mother's day. Hugs, Marty

Celestina Marie said...

Dear Laurie, I remember this wonderful story you shared in the past and I so enjoyed it once again. You and your little sister are darling and so cute. What a blessing to have gone home with the lady that became your mother. I feel so sorry for the elderly lady and the shock it was for her.
Wishing you a very Happy Mother's Day my friend.
Hugs, Celestina Marie

Palomasea said...

Thank you, beautiful friend, for visiting the Mother's Day post...it was so healing for me, and I hope for those who visited...
I am so glad you enjoyed it...
Blessings to you,
- Irina :)

Carlene @ Organized Clutter said...

You were a very cute little girl, Laurie. I'm so glad your sad story had a happy ending.

SwedishCorner ~ DownUnder...Pernilla said...

Beautiful story. I'm so pleased it had a very happy ending. Hope you had a great Mother's Day. Greetings from Australia♥ ~Pernilla