Anna Daisy’s Surprise

Letters and cards from church families, friends, nephews, nieces, a sister, grandchildren, and children painted a feeling of nostalgia and memories. The box contained checks that dated back to the 1990’s, written to a Christian College, missions, church, children and grandchildren. A testimony of generosity to a frugal and conservative life-style, learned in the early married life during the great depression. Tax papers, dated back to 1977, copied on slick paper of that era.

Then I spied a light brown coin bill fold. I opened it and there, looking up at me were Mom’s blue eyes gazing back at me from her last driver’s license, that would expire in 2004… she died in 1998, at the age of 91. Curious, I saw there were more cards below the driver’s license. There were no credit cards. Mom believed in ‘cash only’ before the Dave Ramsay’x teaching.

I saw the Pioneer Telephone Coop Inc. for H. B. Siemens in Oklahoma, a temporary 10% Discount VIP Card for Super 8 Motel, a Friends of the Rogers Historical Museum that expired 08/31/97. A First National First Class Banking Card….then I stopped.

The last card was an Arkansas Resident Lifetime Fishing License, purchased for $10.50. The back of the card gave her height as 5’4” and her weight as 145 lb. Her eyes were blue. This was issued in Rogers, Arkansas.

I drew in my breath, and it caught on a sob as the memories flooded my mind. If the cards could tell the story of a life what would they say? What is left behind from a life that is not hidden. I wondered what I would leave behind and what would my family and friends remember of me?

I remembered Mom’s story of going to the creek to fish in the central Kansas creek with her brothers and sisters. She told me that she almost drowned in the creek, standing on her tip toes, holding her chin up out of the water until help came.

How many Siemens picnics included fishing in the ponds in Oklahoma? My family enjoyed fishing, well, except for me.

I received merciless teasing, especially from Jim, about trying to catch turtle does when my fish hook caught a tree limb. After that, I always brought a good book to read, which eliminated the teasing and the constant chatter that “scared the fish away.”

When my children visited their grandparents, they introduced their love of fishing to our four children. When our four children were in elementary school, they took their fishing poles and hiked across the road to the shallow creek to fish on the ‘Fort Dodge Road’. They enjoyed their time together, putting into action what their grandparents taught them about fishing.

Mom moved to Rogers when she was about 79 years old, to be near to family. As we prepare to do the same thing, ,moving to be near family, I realize the strength and faith of my Mother as she left her home of 48 years and moved here. She brought her favorite cane fishing pole with her and bought a fishing license. My dear husband took her fishing several times. I was thankful that they were kindred fishing spirits and that my teaching job demanded my attention.

After the reverie of memory, I came back to the present and wondered…is Mom fishing in a small creek in Heaven? Does she dig for her own worms? Does she use her favorite kind of cane pole? What kind of fish is she catching. Then I wonder who Mom is fishing with? Is she fishing with Jonas, her brother and avid fisherman? Or is she fishing with my Dad, or with her son, Jim? Perhaps Peter, James and John are giving her pointers as to where a person can catch the most fish in Heaven.

Mom, I love you….and I miss you more than you know…or do you?

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Revelation 5:13

Colossians 1:2-3 – that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.

2 Corinthians 13:11 – Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; live in peace: and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

I Thessalonians 4:17-18 – …then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.