Loving Tribute to Mrs. Florrie Jean Anderson

When I got a phone call the other day from my best friend Angie (pictured with me below), I could tell in her voice something was wrong. She shared that her mother had died while I was on vacation last week and the funeral was this past Monday. I can remember going over to her house and watching her mom fuss over the two of us. Mrs. Flo was such a true Southern lady who always made me feel welcome in her home. She always treated me like I was one of hers and made me feel special. As a child you never forget someone like that. As a tribute to Mrs. Flo I found this poem and dedicate it to her. Love you!- Lydia

What A Mother Is
A Mother's job is to watch over, nourish, and protect maternally. This job starts the day she finds she's conceived; just a built-in mechanism from the Lord!

Mother is the chief night watchman: her ear is fine-tuned (maybe God-given?) to hear the slightest turn of a baby in the bed, a light whimper, and immediately she's out of that bed, and straight to the baby's crib!

Mother is the Doctor and Nurse, all rolled into one. If it's a fever, a crying baby that won't be quieted, a cut, a broken tooth - doesn't matter. She knows how to fix it! A Mother needs only kiss the 'bad boo-boo' and the child instantly is calmed of all fears. After all, Mother knows best!

She is the chief diaper-changer: Surely a wet diaper, or, heaven forbid - one with poop! - stay on that baby more than a few minutes! That's the Mother-protectant clicking - (another God-given talent?).

She's the taxi, bus driver, chauffeur - whatever it takes to get the child whereever they need to go. Can she not just be Mom? No way!

She's the time keeper. After all, children don't watch the clock; they listen to Mom. She knows when the bus runs for school, the time for practice for the games, the piano lesson, the school play. Whatever has a time attached, be assured that Mother has the TIME written down in her time-clock, the head! If not, she surely has a paper attached to her refrigerator, the bathroom mirror, her purse, the car steering wheel, or some place she's bound to see it, or be able to find in case of a lapse in memory!

She's the chief cook and bottle washer. This lasts right up until they leave home. In fact, with some it never ends!! She is dear ole' Dependable Mom!

She's a counselor for the teens. She listens to all the problems, and then tries to solve them her way. Only problem with that is, teens usually know more than the COUNSELOR.

She's also the CONSOLER. She listens while they tell her that 'nobody loves me', 'my boyfriend dumped me', and, 'my fiancee loves someone else'. It goes beyond child and early adulthood, right into marriage with, 'the baby doesn't sleep at night', 'the kids are killing me'. Mother is such a great consoler in this area, why? She's been there, done that!

She's the referee in every dispute. She's the cheer person during the ball games. You can expect her on her feet protesting when her child is tripped at a soccer game, and the referee just doesn't catch it in time.

She is the light at the end of the tunnel, in the wake of a storm!! She is MOM!

Although overworked and underpaid, Mother doesn't complain. She would work her fingers to the bone for her children. She'd come to their rescue, no matter what the cause. These are, after all, her God-given 'talents' to take and use for the glory of God. HE expects Mother to raise and nuture her 'charges' to become the best they can be in this world, and equip them for what is needed to get to the other side!

Written Copyright ©May 10, 2000 by Barbara Sanders. All rights reserved.