….As Only Your Mother Can 

Dear Daughter Madison,  today, October 6, is Ladder's mother's birthday.  She was a wonderful woman....and, while you will never know her directly, you see evidence of her through her son, so today's blog is written in her honor. 

Today is proof that how you live your life matters.  How you spend your time….it truly does make a difference.  What kind of person you are, the way you treat others, are you a prayer warrior, do you know His word? 

Are you making the most of the days He gives you on this earth?  Do you reach out to those in need?  Do you take care of yourself in a way which reflects God’s love for you?

Are you generous with your blessings?  Do you enjoy the little things this life has to offer? 

Do you love?

 

Today, we celebrate the life of Ian’s mother….Dorothy Magerlein Young.  And, while you were not blessed to know Dorothy, you can know about her because you know her son. 

Dorothy was an independent, intelligent, hard working woman.  She was a forerunner in “breaking the glass ceiling”  and you are where you are today in your profession due to women like Dorothy who had to be strong and tough and intelligent in order to survive in a man’s working world.  Dorothy worked as one of the top civilian women on Fort Knox being the administrative assistant to the Colonel on base.

To hear it told, “to get to the Colonel, you had to go through Dorothy Young”.   

I have known Dorothy since I was four years old, but I didn’t really know her other than being the mother of Ian Young, my first crush and love.  She intimidated me.  She was tall to my petite-ness (I now realize she was only 5’ 5”), she dressed to perfection, always kempt and hair in place.  She enunciated her words in a way which would make any professor of linguistics proud.  And, she had very discerning views of how a young lady should behave (I know this because she made me behave accordingly one time when I was with her son and some friends at her home).  

I do remember her asking me about myself a few times at church.  I could barely hear her words because I was so enamored with the hat and jewelry which she often wore.  She was the kind of woman around whom you stood up straight when you spoke and you definitely looked her in the eyes as she spoke.

And, while I didn’t know Mrs. Young well (as that is the way we regarded our elders), I do remember very clearly that she loved her only son in a fierce and motherly way.  She had high expectations for her first and only born and it was clear, even to a young girl like me, that she wanted only the best out of him and for him.

When Ian and I started becoming “friends” around the time I was thirteen, I got the sense that she started taking note of me.  I was an awkward young girl, all glasses and braces and freckles but, I do remember her making the observation to me that I was a work in progress.  At the time, I didn’t give her words much thought because she just casually said that to me and a friend, Susie, but now, I believe that was her way of letting me know I was going to be “okay.”

I don’t remember how old I was, but I do remember her kindness to me one time when I went to watch Ian play football at North Hardin High School.  Ian remembers the dress I was wearing (burgundy checked with a cinched waist and burgundy boots)!  I don’t remember much about the details of that evening…how I got to the game, who took me, how I got home, but I do remember being dressed up and locating Mr. and Mrs. Young in the stands and waving.  Dorothy waved me up to come sit with them and I did.  As I trudged up the stairs to where they were sitting, she patted the seat next to her and invited me to sit down.  She kept a running conversation asking me all kinds of questions until finally, I relaxed. 

I remember well when Ian and I were dating and he lived in Indiana with his grandmother (due to his job being there).  On weekends, when he would come home, he would come by my home first and watch Dallas with me my family prior to going to his home in Radcliff to stay with his parents.  Mrs. Dorothy didn’t care for that too much and let both of us know it!!  His Daddy would tease us and tell us we better get our priorities straight…and, we all had a good laugh! 

I wish I could have known Dorothy better.  longer.  more.  

She would have been a wonderful mother in law and grandmother to you and I have every confidence you would have been great friends.

But, though she has gone from us now, I can feel her presence every day….in Ian and the way he loves me and you kids, in the way he provides for our family.  I can hear her words in the way he speaks to all of us as he guides us through this life.  The discipline and focus and vision you see in him, I believe that comes from her.  As does the financial acumen, desire to take care of what we have and ability to get things accomplished quickly.  More of her. 

I am witness to her love for her son in the way she has documented the important stages of his life, carefully penning important events and milestones with little hand-written notes.

She has some of the sweetest photos of Ian as a baby…photos in which her love and tenderness for her baby boy is evident in the way she is holding him and looking at him. 

Dorothy was an adventurer, loving to travel and learn and explore.  This is one aspect of her which I did not know until going through her things and hearing Ian tell of their great journeys….Dude ranches, mountain climbing, beach dreaming, Alaskan adventuring…..she loved it all and I have loved seeing photos of her in some of her exploits…..

Dorothy was a lover of things beautiful and delicate and lovely.  This is evident in her silver tea set, and services.  The lovely crystal vases and carefully wrapped china.

Dorothy was an enjoyer of photos and keeping track of family history as evident in her albums and notes and documenting of their life.

Dorothy was a craftswoman…making beautiful quilts and crocheted blankets and hand stitched pillow cases.  My favorite is the handwork on the stocking she made Ian which we still hang lovingly on our mantel today. 

She was a note taker.  Almost every treasure Dorothy left Ian as his legacy of their family comes with little hand written notes explaining what is the item and from whom it came. 

 And, while she did have some lovely and beautiful things which she left behind for Ian, you don’t get the sense that it was the “things” which mattered to her but rather the connection these things had to the people in her life.

Dorothy has accomplished something with our family which I hope will be said of me when I have gone on to heaven…. 

She has made her presence in our home, our lives, our daily living known in a sweet and real and precious way.  Her legacy to us can be felt……

Through her Godly life

Through her love for her husband

Through her mother’s love for her son

Through her grandmother’s love for her grandson 

And, she has set the bar high for how we should live out our own life’s….with purpose, being present…..giving back to others.

So, on this day, we celebrate with thanksgiving a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend…. 

And, while you may not have known her in person…..her legacy to you is that you can know her through her son….your Ladder 

And, I believe, baby….that has already and will make all the difference in your life. 

THAT is her legacy to you…

ILYAOYMC,

Mama