If It’s Monday, It’s Mama…..
M is for Madison, Mickey Mouse and
Mama
M is for
Madison…..
Names are
important
Names are not just some moniker given
haplessly to little babies at birth. The
name you give your child is a reflection of your hopes and dreams and prayers
for your child.
They are
pieces of your soul attached to a piece of your heart
And that
piece of your heart walks around
carrying
that piece of your soul all the days of your life….
Your dad and I spent much time pouring
over the Bible, numerous baby books and even interviewing family members in our
effort to pick your name. It’s not that
it had to be perfect to us…to me. It’s
that we wanted it to be the name God had in mind for you when he knitted you in
my womb.
Madison…..”valiant warrior for God”
Elizabeth….”gift of God”
Jewel…”precious gift”
We “tried on” many names over the months
we were pregnant with you…Megan, Morgan, Mia, and even Poppy’s suggestion, “Chlesa
Suzanne”….I called my Aunt Linda searching for old, family names. We asked your Mamaw about names on your dad’s
side. We went through Bible name books,
secular name books and unique baby name books.
Ultimately, we went to what we knew…ourselves, our faith, our family.
We chose Madison because that is where
your dad and I met….Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky. It is a lovely college town nestled in a
sweetspot between Lexington and Paintsville, Kentucky where your dad was
born. Lesa and Beth are derivatives of
Elizabeth. Beth, as you know, was my precious
BFF from high school who lost her life in an automobile accident when I was a
senior. Jewel is your Grammy, Shirle’s
Mama’s middle name…Lettie Jewel and your Mamaw Betty’s Mama’s middle name…Malta
Jewell. We spelled yours the way my
Granny Lettie’s name was spelled.
So, you have a Kentucky County name, a
Bible name and a family name all wrapped up into the naming of you…
I have always been amazed at how well
your name fits you…have you have grown into it over the years and how it has
become more and more of you as you entered into adulthood.
And, I smile….
When I close my eyes, I vividly remember
the doctor laying you in my arms that very sweet moment after you were born…the
joy in my heart was so overwhelming that it filled to overflowing my soul in
such a way that my heart could not contain it all and little tears of sweetness
poured down my cheeks….
Happy, joyful tears…
I never felt closer to God than that
moment you left the shelter of my body and entered this world…
And, when I looked down on your precious
little face…it was clear to me…
Your name….the one God intended for you…
Madison Elizabeth Jewel…..
Precious gift…..gift from God….valiant
warrior for the Lord….
And, fittingly…appropriately, the nurse
said as she was checking you out, cleaning you up, measuring you, comparing you
to the “norms” for newborn babies…
“She’s a fighter”…….
I didn’t know then how prosaic her words
would be…but, I do now.
And, while I pray for you a calm and
peaceful time on this earth….It is good to know that when those times come
where you will have to battle for your faith, your beliefs, your well-being,
that you have that valiant spirit in you to battle strong and hard and wisely.
Valiant means brave and steadfast….courageous
And, that you have been and are….and,
will be!
It does not appear that you were born to
be faint at heart….as God may call others to be. It appears that you were called to be strong
and brave and steadfast in life…
The key is…..raising your heart, your
soul, your eyes to God and searching Him….seeking His direction and going in
that way…
He will lead you…..if you will follow…
Follow….
And, in the following, He will enable
you to fulfill the purpose of your name, and the purpose of your life…for your
name….your life…
Came from Him….
M is for……M.I.C.K.E.Y. M.O.U.S.E!!!
Your dad and I took you to Disneyland in
Florida when you were about four years old.
Precious..precious are the memories I have of you as we entered the
Magic Kingdom for your very first time.
Your enthusiasm was contagious!! As only a four year olds enthusiasm could be.
It was on this trip that I began to
fully appreciate what a gift it was to see the world through your eyes….sure,
we had had many wonderful, exciting experiences
during those four years, but it was our trip to Disney which so enraptured you
and made me realize how amazing life really was…and, is!!
Everything there was New….and Beautiful….and
Amazing (or ‘mazing) as you said for at least 1,000 times.
Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs, and all the characters were not pretend to you…they were real!! The rides were not just pretend tea-cups,
they were REAL tea-cups!! Cotton candy
tasted sweeter, roller coasters were “huger”…everything was
super-fantastic-wonderful and you wanted us to leave Kentucky and move there!!
I remember holding your sweet, little
four year old hand and barely being able to contain your joy….your word to
describe everything was, “Mama…isn’t this ‘mazing??”
This is ‘mazing….that is ‘mazing….it’s
all ‘mazing!!
Precious, precious are those memories of
visiting Mickey!
And, magical, too…
We took you to Cinderella’s castle where
you personally spent time visiting with Cinderella. As we were leaving, she invited you to come
back and you asked her, “When I come back, will you promise to remember me?”, and she said, “well, of course, Princess
Madison, I will always remember you, because you are special.” And you asked, “Pinkie-promise” and stuck out
your little pinkie for her to shake on her promise (something you and I still
do today).
And, you know what??
She did remember you.
When we took you and your brothers back
to Disneyland in Florida when they were first graders and you were a sixth
grader, we went back to Cinderella’s castle…
You walked right up to her and asked her
if she remembered you (not giving your name of course) and she said, “Princess
Madison….it is so wonderful to see you again.
I have been missing you.”
M.a.g.i.c.a.l
You were absolutely, positively,
fantastically stunned that she not only remembered you, but that she remembered
your name, and it was at that moment I realized….
YOUR eyes were opened to the joy and the
wonder and the magic of life as well!!!
It was awesome! You are awesome!
Enjoying the fun things of life is
Awesome!!
And, the greatest joy is in the sharing
of all of this Awesome-ness!!
M is for Mama….
What a privilege and honor it is
to be a Mama…and, not just anyone’s Mama, but your Mama.
It is a gift….and, not just any
old gift, but a special delivery…from God…
Fittingly, as your name implies….
From the moment the prayers for
you began in my heart, to this very day, I have been ever-so-grateful that God
allowed me this precious gift…
Of you…
I have so many sweet, sweet
memories….my holding you the first time, your little finger curling around my
finger…and the power of love and protection that evoked within my soul. Finding out about your PKU and my commitment
then and there to be “the best PKU mother a daughter could have”. The seeds of selflessness which started to
grow in my heart when you came into my life.
Holding your hand as we crossed the street, your helping me do “hout
work” a/k/a housework while daddy was at “hid work” a/k/a his work. We worked together, cooked together, played
together.
We visited neighbors, grew
flowers from seeds and swung high in the trees.
We had mother dates to museums, Sunday dates to the Children’s
Museum. We took trips to visit cousins
and grandparents and friends.
We did science projects,
Christmas projects and church projects.
We made snow angels and ate “snow-scream”,
we laid on the sidewalk and star-gazed.
We even climbed onto the roof of our home (and, still do) to gaze at
stars. We started traditions…so many, it
is hard to count, but a favorite is our mother/daughter dates at Joseph-Beth.
We have had silly conversations
and serious conversations. We have
talked about life, and death, cancer and divorce, honesty and truth. We have fought, we have scratched. We have cried and we have laughed.
We have loved…..
And, in that loving and living
and sharing, we have entwined our hearts in such a way that nothing…nothing can
sever our bond.
Mama and child
Mama and daughter
Mama and friend
It is a privilege and an honor to
be your mother.
I am not worthy of such an honor,
but I am grateful for the opportunity.
If there is any good in me, if
there are any seeds of sweetness and kindness and joyfulness…it is in large
part because I have had you for a daughter…my daughter.
And, for that, I am eternally
grateful…..
I Love You As Only Your Mama Can,
“more than all the sands on all
of the beaches in all of the world, and once you have them counted, more than
all of the beaches in all of the heavens….and once you have those counted….”
That is just the “beginning” of how much God loves you.
ILYAOYMC,
Mama
