Generous

For your standards, your humor, your strict counsel, and your unwavering love for me, Daddy, thank you. You taught me to respect people, respect guns, respect authority. You whistled tunes that told me everything was okay in the world. You taught me how to create a bedroll and start a campfire. You were my go-to for algebra, chemistry, and trig. You took me into situations where I had to learn to be self-sufficient – things every woman should know. You disciplined me in private to spare me humiliation. You set a high standard for my work life. You expected a lot from me but were gracious when I failed. You worried and prayed and hugged and celebrated and taught me to pray about everything.

But most of all you taught me how to shake hands with people, firmly grasping the hand offered, looking them in the eye, an unspeakably powerful sign of mutual respect.

Thank you, Dad, for your generosity.
 
For your love and concern; for your hopeful, cheerful attitude; for your singing silly songs and playful banter; thank you, Momma. You taught me so much. You were my go-to for English and typing and history. You let me talk things out so I could be sure what I actually believed when the world was closing in. You counseled me in protecting myself, how to hold myself and how to move, how to care for myself and heal myself. You wanted me to be more than you, achieve all the dreams I had, achieve the dreams you had, and be a success. For your safe phrase, “You know you can come home anytime. There’ll always be a place for you.”

But most of all, Mom, thank you for showing me how to be a peacemaker. I watched you over and over again create a safe space for people who had conflict and show them a possible path out, a different way to think, a compromise.

Thank you, Mom, for your generosity.
 
Thank you, Connie, for always being there even though we are 2,000 miles apart. Thank you for sharing your childhood and family with me. Thank you for sharing dreams and goals. Thank you for treating me with respect all the while knowing your life was much more difficult than mine. Thank you for giving me an excellent example of what a friend should be.

But most of all, Connie, thank you for not giving up on me when I ignored you, or forgot about you, or were too busy with my own life to think about anything else.

Thank you, Connie, for your generosity.
 
For the unlimited access to you during my family explosion and my personal terror, thank you, Sandra. You answered all my calls. You counseled me in my trouble. You brought me out of the darkness and showed me the power I have in the Holy Spirit. You helped me understand how my choices of friends and direction of my life created the pit I had been in. You showed me the pit had steps to climb out, steep, but not impossible. You prayed over me and asked others to pray over me. You shared yourself, your story, your wisdom, your mistakes, and through that helped me understand.

But most of all, Sandra, you awakened the prayer warrior within me, the one that was placed there when I chose to follow Jesus.

Thank you, Sondra, for your generosity.
 
For joy, laughter, and challenges, my children, thank you. For the quiet times of book reading; for the crazy questions and brainstorming answers; for the fun; for sharing trips and adventures; for enduring hours of study and forced quiet; for obeying strict bedtimes so I wouldn’t go crazy, thank you. For the peeks into your young world, seeing things the way you do – bugs, squirrels, kittens, raccoons, birds, flowers, trucks, and tree limbs.

But most of all, children, thank you for continuing to share yourselves with me – it is such a blessing in my life.

Thank you, children, for your generosity.
 
And thank you readers for the generous use of your time.