Well … here we are.
1 year ago today I was talking with my mother for the last time. I was down at my mamaws house helping with some clean up and chatting with cousins, aunts, and uncle. I talked to her 3 times that day … Nikki did the same … several others spoke with her as well. She reminisced about mamaw, recalling her as one of her best friends especially after dad passed away. I had silenced my phone before heading into the gathering at the Vineyard that night. Forgetting to turn the ringer back on I would miss the phone call from the Nursing home and then the several calls from her husband Marvin. After breaking down and getting myself together I called my brother Jake and eventually headed out to his house. Sometime later we would gather at Mt. Zion and pay honor to her memory. Watching my brother speak … I guess it started to settle in that we are who we are because of both of our parents. In the end I think Jake and I have turned out alright. Both of us have married up, both have beautiful kids, involved in church, serving others, bettering ourselves through formal education and learning through necessity … I think mom and dad would be proud of us. They did a good job of letting us know they were proud of us when they were living here with us … but I think it continues.
I’m proud of my brother and the man he has become. I know we can get on each other’s nerves sometimes but I think that’s part of being siblings. I think I let him down sometimes … but all in all … we’re good.
The wife and I have kept all the various voicemails that mom left us in the last few months of her life. Because of this Nikki was able to hear mom wish her a happy birthday last week. I often play the call where mom stood on her own after months in bed with two broken legs. In blessings & mysteries of eternity we know they are not really gone. The memories of our mind and heart keep her close but technology seems to give a whole new life to remembering a loved one. Videos, pictures, voice mails; all of them together make it tactile to our physical being. The time will come when we don’t need these things and we’ll be united in eternity together again; for now however they will stir our memories forever.
One day I’ll combine these messages that are appropriate and post them. For now though … if you knew my mother I pray that you’ll remember her in kindness. I’d love it if you would share a story or two as a way of honoring her. They may make it into a book for her grandkids one day, who knows.
A wonderful post for a tough anniversary…
I only had the privilege of interacting with your mom on a few occasions. Each time we spoke, it was clear she wanted me to know that I was lucky to count her sons as friends. I can say with certainty that she was proud of you, and that she’s right to be.
Thinking of you & Jake today. My prayer for the Turnmires is from Colossians 3:15-20 in The Message… especially the first sentence:
Father, thank you that these verses are true of the Tunrmires. I pray that as your kingdom comes in their family, that you would let these verses be the fruit for all to see – for your glory. Amen!
Much love from the Farrands
Martha Lorene Miller Turnmire was my BFF. To me she was the sister I never had. I knew her all my life. She was my double first cousin. She was smart. She was funny. She could keep a secreat. She was honest, trustworthy, I shared with her my joys my sorrows she knew all my faults and loved me anyway. and I hers. My life was better for having known her. There is not a day goes by that I don't miss her.
Lorene and I attended the same grade school. She was two Years ahead of me. We both attended Friendsville high school at the same time. We both went to E.C.P.I. of Knoxville at the same time. She studed computer programming, I learned electronic accounting machines and keypunch machines. The school set us up for interviews at Magnovox in Greeneville Tenn. We got the job of keypunch opperators. Lorene and I sharred an appartment for three years and worked together at Magnovox until she met and married John Turnmire. I was there the day she met John. We even double dated once.
She loved her family. I told her on more thn one occasion that she and John had raised two of the finest boys any parent could wish for. She aggreed. Lorene loved her boys. She was proud of the choices they made in the women they married. She told me once that they couldn't have made a better choice if she had hand picked them herself.
Her grand-daughters were the light of her life. She would call me every day with some sweet or profound or funny thing that one of them had said or done. We sharred a lot of laughs because of those three girls.
I couldn't tell you any spicific story right now. If you asked me in private maybe so but to write it down for others to read, no. I can keep a secret too.
I remember meeting her for the first time. She said she could tell I was beautiful, because Cathy told her so, lol. She remembered my voice and knew me everytime, with a simple hello. Not a conversation went by that we didn’t laugh at something. She had a bright smile, and could see the world through everyones eyes. I am blessed to have been part of her life. She will forever missed!
Morgan