As we celebrate our moms this weekend, I want to share an essay I wrote for my own mom. I love my mom a whole bunch. She's been a precious gift from God for me, and as I get older I treasure her more and more for being that steadfast pillar of love throughout my lifetime.
Good Morning, Merry Sunshine
"Good morning, Merry Sunshine!" That phrase echoes down through the decades of my life and still spills warmth and light into my soul. It's a phrase I haven't thought of in years, but when it recently wiggled its way out from some dusty memory bank, I was stopped in my tracks. For wrapped in its melody, there came such a sweet flood of happy and loving feelings.
For a fleeting moment I was back in the old farm kitchen where I grew up. I must have only been about five or six at the time. I have a recollection of padding my sleepy-eyed self down the little hallway into the sun flooded kitchen, where Mom was probably making breakfast. She stopped whatever she was doing to welcome me into the day by her cheery, "Good morning, Merry Sunshine."
I don't recall if Mom used that little nickname on a regular basis, or just that one time, but even after all these years, just remembering it, I got all warm and cozy. It made my heart sing to think of my mom using that little name for me.
It was as if her words, spoken so long ago, spilled something precious over me -- a reminder that Mom's love for me over my lifetime has been like sunshine -- always warming, always cheering, always there. Remembering those words at this time in my life is a little like an awakening call. For with the feelings that wash over me as I remember, I now have a little hankering to live up to that name, to be a merry bit of sunshine wherever I go.
Which makes me realize that good or bad, the words a mother speaks over her child echoes over the decades. The use of nicknames, whether they are pretty, cute, funny, or gently teasing of a special personality trait, when spoken with love and kindness, can give a child a sense of belonging, of feeling included in the circle of love, and of being identified as someone worthy and special.
I bless my mother for speaking such a loving nickname over me all those years ago, for it still rings a happy melody in my heart today. May we as mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and aunties speak many loving words over our loved ones today, for the words we speak will echo for a lifetime!
A merry, sunny day to you all!
Brenda
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sweet story and wonderful memories of a lovely mom
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the most tender tributes I've read in the last decade.
ReplyDeleteYour words are almost as beautiful as your soul. Do we have your mother to thank for the warmth and sunny disposition in your posts?
I've been wondering whether or not to share this with you.... The title of this post really struck me when I saw it... My mother used to wake me almost every morning with,
"Good morning Merry Sunshine.
How did you wake so soon?
You scared away the little stars,
And frightened away the moon."
So, I was prepped and ready to shed a tear or two when I opened your site... and I definitely did just that. Thank you, Brenda for...well, just for being who and what you are that allows such wisdom and purity of thought to flow so articulately from you.
I honestly think that many times, God speaks to me through you.
This is one of those times.
Precious memories! Happy Mother's Day, indeed!
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