My Mothers name was Mary.
The idea for Mary’s Letters in the infant stages was to honor my mother.
For as long as I can remember my mother was always writing. Her Christmas card list was legendary. Most of these cards came with letters of course. To get them done and in the mail before Christmas day she started writing them in November. Sometimes I would be go to bed and she would be writing at the dinner table. When I woke up she would still be there writing away.
That was just the holidays. For the rest of the year letters, notes and cards were in the mail constantly. Some made there way into my fathers lunch pale while others made there way into our books or under our pillow.
To the recipients these little word gems arrived with perfect timing and power. Her words warmly touched your heart whether it was twelve pages or just a few lines.
As her oldest son my mother was my hero in so many ways. She was just a beautiful person. Whether you did time or went to church every week our house was always a warm place to land because she made it that way. She was the consummate cheerleader for her children and a champion for us to pursue our dreams.
If I could do my childhood over again I would have done all the little things, like more I Love You’s, more hugs, more calls home and more yes Mom I will clean my room. Figured I had a lifetime to do all of those things. Life can be short but I did cherish the time I had with her.
Along the way she also gave me a love for writing. The first article I ever wrote for my hometown newspaper she sat right beside me until I finished it.
My mother passed away when she was 46. She was so young. That was 30 years ago. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about how blessed I was to have her as my mother.
Who knows how many handwritten letters and notes my mother had in her Even in a tech savvy world it would’ve been too many to count and her lifetime mission.
Now it’s mine because of the legacy she left behind.
