Sunday...day of rest.

BWOS family, thank you for joining my family in honoring my mom this past Thursday. I am grateful for every hug and every tear shed reflecting how special she was to all of you. There was standing room only, with a second room opened for others to sit. Still, I know there are many customers who were not able to make the drive to attend the service. So, if you would allow me....I will write just a little about my mom, your friend and shop owner. 

 My mom and Dr Rogers

They were really friends as the picture shows.

Proverbs 31....read it and see if it doesn't make you smile!

My mom:

She was a real advocate for family

A patient and gentle person who did not like conflict

She enjoyed life one day at a time

Her favorite holiday...Christmas

And she love handmade ornaments!

She enjoyed giving much, much more than receiving.

My mom would often remind me that you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

Slow to judge and quick to forgive

She would often say something better is coming

Gosh, did she have a lot of hope.

Sewing, Cooking, Gardening

My mom knitted socks year round on tiny, tiny needles.

Never rushing a stitch.

She wanted to be buried in a pair of her socks.

And she was.                                 

She sold Beauty Control makeup to so that she could get braces

She was not afraid of hard work

And was very independent

She has done her share of square dancing

and made the best cheese biscuits you have ever enjoyed

She wore a lot of really high heels and sharp looking dresses back in the day.

Bright colors, bright makeup...she really liked makeup that came in pretty packaging.

Mom enjoyed reading a good book.

Magazines of every kind

She read the Bible often

She loved to be prayed for and for you to pray with her

She would hold your hand....for a long time.

We last held hands the night before she passed away. 

Mom loved the countryside

Hummingbirds

The first batch of butterbeans from the garden...those were frozen for our family to have at Christmas together.

Roses....any color...any rose

My Aunt Janice's country fried steak

Uncle Tommy's bbq chicken

Susan's cornbread

Pickled okra

Homemade dressing

An elderly friend name Mrs. Harper

Rodney's piano music

Burger King lunches 

Coke with a LOT of ice!

Receiving a greeting card in the mail

Pretty dining room tables

July 3rd celebrations at her house

Watermelon

Homemade ice cream

Pictures and texts from her grandchildren

Did she ever like pretty calenders and new notebooks

Jewelry...the real stuff!

Scotty winning American Idol

Watching Nashville and The Pioneer Woman 

The business... BWOS....she wanted to make a safe place for others to come learn, make friends, and retreat from the sometimes harsh realities of life.

She was very empathetic and quick to give the benefit of doubt to others.

She easily found the good in everyone.

Although she could not drive herself to church, she often journaled about the many blessings she was grateful for despite tough challenges.

She was a fine example of how to live life with a grateful heart.

She endeared herself to others.

She was the best at remembering people by name.

She showed never ending kindness and concern for others.

She put others before herself

and was a loyal friend.

She was very proud of every quilt our Quilts of Valor group and her had completed and gifted to a deserving soldier.

She gave a lot of hugs.

My mom inspired others to try hard and never give  up.

My mom, a beautiful and sweet lady.

We will all miss her. 

To our customers, her greatest joy was to sit at the end of the cutting table, propped on the seat of her walker...she welcomed you with smiles. She would hold your hand and listened to whatever you wanted to talk about that day. I think she knew many secrets. And she kept them.

No more feeling deep, deep disappointment if she could not make every. single. customer. happy........can't say that enough. She loved and provided service to everyone with all her might.

And she never forgot if somehow a customer left with any disappointment...no matter how long ago it was. She and I talked about that from time to time...what else could we have done for that valued person.

To our staff, your names are forever on our family tree. You stood by my mom in good times and in bad, tough times.  You have been at the store when she could not. She trusted you with her business. She trusted you with her customers. Thank you.

Now....no more alarms to test. No more finger pricks. No more heavy batteries to tote all day long. No more plugging up to power for the night. No more walker to shuffle behind.

NO more burdens to carry.  

Great is His faithfulness. 

In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore.

Carolyn