SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 2011
my mother, Elisabeth Howard Elliot Leitch Gren
How very thankful I am for my mother, who taught me to love Truth, be clear in my speech, love and follow the God and Creator of the universe, and do the little things faithfully. She taught me how to clean, how to iron, how to bake bread, how to love my husband, how to laugh, appreciation for good stories, appreciation for listening to accents, how to dress nicely, how to love being at home, and how to trust my Father in heaven.
She is now in Florida, spending some time with her husband and Dani, the young woman who helps them, in a warmer climate. She does not like the cold, and she loves fires and a good cup of hot tea. I will never forget the joy of coming home from miserably cold skiing lessons on Cannon Mtn. in Franconia, and she had a roaring fire in our huge granite fireplace, and hot tea in a lovely tea pot, and delicious hot muffins that we could put butter and honey on. What a sweet memory. And our dog, Zippy, would sit with us in front of the fire, sometimes putting his paws up on the hearth to get warmer, and then not knowing when to get down when his face got too hot, but moving his head from side to side. My mother loved animals too, another thing she gave me appreciation for. (I know, you're not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition!) [for which she gave me an appreciation does sound a little stilted.]
She is now in Florida, spending some time with her husband and Dani, the young woman who helps them, in a warmer climate. She does not like the cold, and she loves fires and a good cup of hot tea. I will never forget the joy of coming home from miserably cold skiing lessons on Cannon Mtn. in Franconia, and she had a roaring fire in our huge granite fireplace, and hot tea in a lovely tea pot, and delicious hot muffins that we could put butter and honey on. What a sweet memory. And our dog, Zippy, would sit with us in front of the fire, sometimes putting his paws up on the hearth to get warmer, and then not knowing when to get down when his face got too hot, but moving his head from side to side. My mother loved animals too, another thing she gave me appreciation for. (I know, you're not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition!) [for which she gave me an appreciation does sound a little stilted.]
I am very thankful for your mother too. And for finding this, your blog.
ReplyDeleteYou do not know me, but as I'm sure you've heard a million and one times, the lives of your parents (and therefore, you too since you were part of their experiences) have completely influenced my own. I was able to see your mother speak in '97...I had just graduated from college. I bought a ton (almost) of books at that meeting.
Your mother's books on the relationship of she and your father completely influenced the way my and my husband's 'love story' unfolded. Before that took place, I felt a call to the foreign mission field...your mom's books helped me so much in that area too (along with your dad's journals).
I have had the privilege of meeting your mother after that a couple of times. My in-laws live in Beverly, Mass. When I was expecting my first child (in 2003), my husband and I met your mom and Mr. Lars for breakfast one Sunday morning. It was such a sweet time. And then during the summer of 2010 we were able to meet again. My family (now 4 children tagging along) and I went to visit them in the cove. What a special time that was. Another sweet thing that happened, other than spending time with Mrs. Elisabeth and Mr. Lars, is that we met Dani that trip (she had just arrived) and she and I had an instant connection. She and her brother hope to come to us for a visit soon.
All of that to say...well, I just wanted to agree with you in this post. ;) So many are thankful for your mother...and your father. I'm very grateful to have met her, even in the form of just her books. The other things were just icing on the cake. :)
By the way, let me explain how I found your blog...
My husband's brother just got engaged this weekend. He went to Gordon with your daughter I believe. She wrote on his wall and I recognized the name. I went to her page and saw you, then went to your page and found this blog. :) Just thought I'd explain the train of events that led me here.
So you are saying with Winston Churchill, "Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put"?
ReplyDeleteI love your mother, dear Valerie, and I love you. Thank you for sharing your stories and memories with us here.