Mom and me at my 50th birthday party in December 2012.
Tasking myself with sharing memories of my mom was a daunting task. I have so many amazing memories.
I could tell you how I remember how festive she made our home at the holidays. Or how she’d pull off what seemed to a child, the most glamorous New Year’s Eve parties, complete with a breakfast served sometime in the wee hours.
I could tell you how she loved to spin cookies in her 4-runner. She’s speed into a parking lot and slam on the breaks and away she’d go spinning. Those who spend the week with her during the 1997 blizzard know this to be true.
I could tell you how she gave up so much to move to a small house on an acreage so her youngest daughter, me, could have her horses in her backyard. How she worked for my dad all day, kept a clean and organized house, barn and yard and served up dinner at 6pm sharp! That, at the same time she traveled with me to 62 horse shows a year so that I
could qualify for worlds.
I do want you to know that during that time, we spent hours together in a one-ton dually pickup, running down the road at about 85 miles an hour signing those oh-so spiritual songs, Paradise by the Dashboard Lights and Souths Gonna Do it Again at the top of our lungs! {She had good lungs then}
Those days went away as quickly as they came and we were on to another adventure together. I went off to model and mom went off and opened two etiquette and modeling schools.
But none of this is what I really want to share today. I had a time with my mom much more precious than all of the above. We got to share our love of Christ together. Mom was pretty quiet about her faith while I was growing up. But once I met our savior she wanted to talk about him a lot. She asked questions and would routinely tell me “you are so knowledgeable about the Bible, Robin.” My good friend Vera is probably choking on her iced tea about now, because it is so not true. But it gave us time to talk about so much.
She was very concerned about those she loved who may not know Jesus personally. She’d pray and pray and tell me to do the same. “Don’t stop praying for _______. Don’t give up.” she’d say.
She read books about heaven and, although wasn’t ready to give up her matriarch status here on earth, she assured me she knew where she was going. And she wanted to see her mom. “I’m going to see my mom!” she’d tell me. Now I’m telling you all the same thing. I can’t wait to see my mom free from the chains of her failing lungs, oxygen hose and that mask she hated so much.
Mom was cremated. That used to freak me out. But I asked God to assure me..prove it, really… that mom was truly with him and ok. And you know what? He did. He clearly told me that he did not need to prove anything to me, but he would anyway. I tell you that I can’t think of my mom without seeing her huge smile and her eyes telling me, “I’m ok. I can’t wait for you to see this place!”
43:1-2 several times, when I finally gave in and said “ok, I’ll use this one!” He was talking to Israel at the time, but I know the message was just for us today. It says:
But now, this is what the Lord says,
…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
Don’t miss this in verse 2:
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze! “
I am confident that all is well with her soul. She is alive and not ablaze. She was an amazing mother in life. But she’s even better now. And I believe that if she were able, she’d tell you, that if you know him, you’ll dance with her again someday too!
I don’t know what I’ll do on Friday mornings now. I’ll miss getting our nails and her hair done at Mikki’s. Oh what fun we had.
Doris L. Jones Oleson
July 2, 1936 – May 1, 2013
I am still on my quest to be All In for God. Are you with me?
Connect with Me!