February 10, 2015

Hello everyone!

I hope you have all set your goals and started working on them. We just laid my mother to rest. She is home now. As I reflected on her life, I realized she had achieved most of the goals she set for herself.

There were four goals we thought might be out of her reach because we lived in the projects and had very little. But my mother was determined and set about doing what she needed to achieve her dreams. She always said God would help her and she accepted the small things knowing her goals were just around the corner.

That meant learning about taking tests for the Post Office and passing them. This was her first goal. She wanted to work for the Post Office. It took work, lots of reading, taking the test countless times as the years passed by. In the beginning her test scores were in the low 50’s. Then she was getting the 90’s and 100’s. But still she had to wait, because there was on a waiting list of people wanting to work for the Post Office. Eventually, she was called and that was the beginning of the other goals starting to fall in place.

With her job at the Post Office, she was able to get the car she wanted, put aside some money, and buy not one, but two houses. After that, everything else she was able to get, was just icing on the cake. An added bonus because she believed that God would help her realize her dream if only she kept her faith. My mother’s faith was strong right up until the day the Lord called her home. She lived a long and prosperous life. She was two months short of being 90.

There was one other dream my mother had and thankfully, we were able to help her realize that dream as well. This dream was that her children would not get into the kind of trouble that would ruin our lives. I am happy to say that none of her children are in jail, on drugs, or alcoholics. We are not perfect and have had our ups and downs but we did our best to make her proud. She raised seven girls and one boy. She instilled values in us that we still try to live by today.

We hold fast to our dreams, we have faith that God will always make a way and be with us, and we learned from her to never give up on our dreams and accept the things that may be small to us, but is God’s reminder, He is still on the job. He is just waiting for us to accept we can have our dream.

My sister, April’s wrote a message to our mother. After reading it, I thought it said what we all felt and changed it to include all the children. I hope she want mind that I share it here.

“Mama you taught us to be strong, independent, to speak up for ourselves and to help others in need.

Most of all, you taught us to love. Through the good and bad times, we have always loved you. We are so grateful to have had the chance to spend time with you and to tell you we loved you in person before your passing.

Know that a part of you will always be here in our thoughts, our heart, and our memories. With love from your daughter, April’s and siblings.”

Despite everything that happened in her life, the hurt of her husband leaving her and the fear of being alone with the responsibility of how she would take care of six children, and later two more, she remained a woman who loved her fellow man and tried to help where she could. She remained steadfast and faithful to God to the end. Rest in Peace, Momma. You have earned your eternal reward and peace. We love you.

I shared this with you because my mother had very little education and no family here in California. But she trusted God to see her through and help her provide for her family. He did both.

You may say why ask His help? Because she couldn’t do it alone. She made her plans, but needed His strength, wisdom, and the courage He provided her with to carry on and believe it would happen. She had to take the action to let God know she trusted Him and He provided what was needed along the way.

You may not believe in God but He believes in you. Make your plans for achieving your goals and take the actions needed and you to will realize your dreams.

Thank you Mom for your love and teaching us to believe, to have faith, and many, many other things you taught us by example. I will always love you.


Until next time, La Wanna