Well, ya know, if all fails, Christian Joy calls me from NYC and makes me laugh. Some of her newest dress creations are going to be in England at a museum. The museum is called the Victoria and Albert. Anyway, the museum picked out two dress creations Joy made and have been worn by the famous Karen O. But they want one now that is an original from Christian Joy designs that has never been worn. So Joy explains it so seriously to me on the phone and I am tryin’ to keep a straight face. “Mom, it is a dress made out of all kinds of macaroni and pasta. I will dye all of the pasta different colors.” I think, if it is true to form, she will buy a prom dress at the Salvation Army and decorate it with pasta. It will be glued on and look like beads. It does sound very pretty. How did I know when I fed her all that macaroni when she was young that she was envisioning wearing it on a dress? Oh, I am guilty. We used to take whole afternoons and make pictures on construction paper with glued on buttons and macaroni.

As Christian Joy and I laughed on the phone, I told her a story about when she was young. I was always making these skirts that were long and straight with a drawstring for a waist. Anyway, I had to go to the hospital and my mom had to take me. As I laid on the table at the hospital my mom says, tugging at my skirt, “What is this, anyway?” I was such an embarrassment to my mother. She always did everything by the style of the day. Well, most mothers did back then. But being a free thinker, I did everything off the wall. Well, it all comes back to me now. “Sorry Mom!”

Often Mom has said to me as I raised my kids, “They get all those crazy ideas from you.” Well, Aunt Jill was around, too, and I think she was wilder than me, almost, with her styles. Poor Christian Joy was surrounded by free thinkers and I don’t know if I am braggin’ or complainin’. A dress made out of macaroni? Well. I have to say it wasn’t something I would have thought of but I will be dogged if I ain’t a little proud of my Christian Joy!

Her designs are steering away a bit from the punk rockers to more costumes. One year she dressed David up as a mummy for Halloween. She wrapped him in a whole roll of toilet paper. Joy kinda, at this place in the game, lives, I think, at the skinny side of my faith. What I taught her here at home, to some extent, she shouts to the world. She tells her interviewers that her mom taught her to sew when she was 3 years old. Well, I did but Geeeezz!

Love,
Connie

Dear Mothers,

I am getting ready to tell you about a story I heard on TV. It is so good but, not being a sports fan, I know nothing about the details of this story. I am pretty lame at knowing about sports so please bear with me. And if you know the details, please write them to me.

Well, there was this young man who won a gold medal for long distance running, I think. Anyway, he wins the prize and is showered with awards and all. And he takes his gold medal back to, I think, Canada? And after he had the gold medal for a while, they found out that he had drugs in his system when he ran the race. Steroids or whatever. And so they made him bring the gold medal back and he was stripped of his glory. So, anyway, a news person, of course, wants to interview his mother. What a dink! The news media loves to make a big deal of sorrow. And so this dunce asks this young man’s mother what she thought of her son being on drugs and losing the Gold Medal. And she had two words for this ignorant newsman. “He’s mine.” And when I heard what that brave mom said, I thought out loud, “Yes, he is God’s.” The Mother said, “He was mine when he won the gold. He was mine when he brought it home. He was mine when they found out he had drugs in his system and he was mine when he brought the gold back.”

Oh, man, I will never forget that story if I live to be a 100. This mother’s brave words said to me, “Our kids are ours and their sins are none of the devil’s business.”

Nothing can pluck our children out of God’s hands, no matter what they do. And, no, this is not true for every child. But if they have a mother who won’t let go of them, then God won’t let go, either. “All of my children are taught of the Lord and great shall be their peace.”

The Word says, “Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted.” If God puts a mourning spirit upon a Mother for her child, then she has the promise that God will deliver this child and that she will be comforted. A Mother who loves God will automatically mourn if she knows her child is in danger or not walking with God. I think it is in Ezekiel that God calls the writers to mark those who do not mourn with an X on their forehead and that they would be killed starting with the temple of God. Those who do not sigh and cry for their children in this age have no heart for God.

Yes, we have many days of refreshment and the Lord carries our burdens. Weeping lasts for the night but JOY comes in the morning. And I have a promise for every mother who mourns as she reads this writing. Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted. Also Isaiah 49:25, I will contend with those who contend with thee and I will save your children.

Love,
Connie