Dear Mothers,
The phone rang this morning. "Mother, the barbarians have landed." It was Christian Joy telling me that John and David had made it to NYC. Last night the Yeah Yeah Yeahs played at a concert along with other bands like the Sonics. Anyway, Christian Joy is the Yeah Yeahs' personal clothes designer. So the boys (David, Dan, and John) got to sit at the V. I. P. table. Last night, I had Tiff, Christine, and the grandbabies over for supper. Anyway, the boys kept calling on cell phones back to their wives to tell them what famous people they were sitting by. Christian Joy said the boys were such a hit with all of her friends. Well, they all look so much alike. John and Christian look like twins almost. And Dan and David look so much alike. Joy's friends said that the boys make twenty of her. Chrissy said, "Mom, if the boys didn't like someone, they told them to their face." Oh, man, what a riot! NYC will never be the same. As the mother of this group, I feel like a fart in a storm.
I woke up sort of queasy this morning. So I decided to watch this movie on TV? It was "Analyze This." It was about this psychiatrist that was trying to counsel this guy in the mafia. The shrink was a mild mannered guy and got in all this trouble with the mafia. It was a comedy but at first I wasn't laughing. Then I could see myself as the shrink and boy, could, I relate. I started to laugh and laugh and then I actually ate something. I can hardly eat at times. I mean, I had better laugh!
Actually, nothing signifies my life as much as I describle myself as the fart in a storm. I am a puzzle piece that does nothing right but I try to hold still and not move and, by faith, I see the pieces move into place.
Joy and I talked about the terrorists and how twenty-four of them tried to take ten planes down just a few days before the boys got on the plane to go to NYC. But I told Joy, "Ya know, Joy, what Dad and I tried to teach you kids is to just always keep treading water. Keep the faith and keep on going." Because, ya know, it looks like we are heading for WW3, no matter who is in power, the Democrats or Republicans. I said to her, "Ya know, Papa and me kinda raised you kids different." And we talked about how family meant so much and how ya don't give up on family. I said that Dad and I were Christians but not really the church kinda Christians. But that you had a personal relationship to Christ. Not religion but Christ and a personal walk with Him.
For one thing, Papa in the beginning, before Christ, was such a con artist. He could smell a con a mile away. The only way to ever reach some of these gangsters is through the heart and soul. Through loving them when everyone else has given up on 'em. But you try to take them to church and they hear a sermon on "give me your money" and they laugh their heads off. They won't get serious in a church like that. They will play with preacher like a cat plays with a mouse before they eat them.
If we need to do anything in the Christian world at this point, it is to Get Real! If you don't want to die for your faith, you better bail now. Hard times are about us and it looks like harder times are coming. The times of the Billy Graham crusades are over. They were great in their time. But at this point, the Lord is calling warriors to His army. The spiritual battles are fired up about us. And our country battles on many sides. We as Mothers in His army need to teach our children faith and courage. How to do the hard things in faith.
I told the girls last night, "I pray that I am an example to you in how I take care of Mary. Because when Baby Rose and Romeo get older, times will be harder than now." Tiff said that her and David were just talking about that. I try to talk to the girls a lot and impart my faith to them. Tiff is due to have their baby next month. They will call him David James.
Dolly Madison Ministry
Ya know, Dolly Madison was the wife of James Madison. He was one of the first presidents and founding fathers of our country. Anyway, Dolly, his wife, opened her home to the great patriots of the day so that they had a good place to have a meal and be able to relax and talk. Her home is where many great ideas were birthed. She had a heart for America and knew that the men of the hour needed a place to talk. Otherwise, they had to go to the taverns, as these were the only meeting houses, and it wasn't very private. When the British were coming, it was Dolly who saved the picture of George Washington just before the White House was burned.
But, ya know, we as housewives can be like Dolly. I try to have simple suppers with my daughters-in-law and often the whole family. I try to make a place where we can talk and impart strength to each other. Where the ideas and the communication can flow. We mothers need to make places where we can talk and feel at ease. Not a place to call anyone out on the carpet -- NO! Even if the grandchildren don't want to eat, I don't care. I am not here to dictate who eats what. I tell the girls, "Don't worry about it. Do what ya want." They are good mothers and know what their own kids' need. If I get the children something special for a treat and they don't like it, I could care less. I am not here to make people do what I want. I have invited the kids over to be able to enjoy them and that's all. And then when all the falderal is out of the way, we can eat leisurely and talk. We can take our iced tea outside and watch the children play in the yard. We are at peace and can express our thoughts, etc.
But our kids need a place to be able to have a nice meal and to be able to express what they think. Young people love big salads and spaghetti and bread. It's easy food to fix and to eat simply. In this age, a lot of young families need the counsel of us older Christians. They need to see us in crisis. We have a lot of valuable things to pass on to them. Also, I need my kids -- they keep me young and keep me in the know as to what folks their age worry about.
I mean, now more then ever, in these hard times, we need to open our homes as homemakers to give the common person a place to relate and to communicate their thoughts. TV tells you very little. But the youth of our day will tell you what's eating them if you give them a place to tell you. Even to just have sandwiches and a salad or soup. I mean, don't make it a big meal that wears you to a frazzle and you then don't have time to be crisp and perky and alive with conversation when they get there. The meal isn't the major event but the personal relationship and thoughts spoken between you is what matters.
We older Mothers need a place to express courage and faith in a simple way over a simple meal. A place to impart our spirits to our loved ones. But, mostly, a place where our older children can express themselves and unwind their thoughts in peace.
Love,
Connie
