Memories

I can still hear her voice now. That was long before she had gotten so sick. In the morning sunlight amidst the chores of a busy housewife. The voice of my mother would ring out. She had to practice you know. For coming soon was a feature place in an evening show with a local organization. Her voice would then before a crowd sound out with pleasing chorus’s and words of a famous country classic.

It was that classic of Ferlin Husky, who wrote “On the Wings of a Dove” that became a classic in the 50′s to 60′s. It was not that the song was just good. Listening to mom rehearse her singing, made it come alive. The second verse which says “when troubles surround us, when evils come, the body grows weak, the spirit grows numb, when these things beset us, He doesn’t forget us, He sends down His love, on the wings of a dove”. This became something that would come true. For mother, in a short while became very ill. It was during this time, darkness came in, light was dim.

I was in Junior High School. Mother who could sing, raise two kids, and take care of her husband, now was very ill. We could not see her much. For the most part, I was without a mom during this time. I helped at home. On weekends we had to drive many hours away to visit mother. We could not see her but from a window. They only let dad in to see her. It seemed forever that year as the days passed without mom. My heart was sunk, my brain in a freeze, and I did not know what to do.

Moms illness was one that people did not know much about. A chemical shortage in the brain caused all sorts of trouble. In short, the breakdown would take time to heal. When she did come home. Mom looked swell. She seemed in good spirits, but had lost lots of weight. It was then, we realized that she had lost her voice. After the illness the sweet pitch of her voice, and the music went away. Try as she might, her voice never returned.

I take this time to remind people to cherish the ageless memories in time. That moment when, just like my mom, singing in a rhapsody so beautiful, I thought it was angels. People enjoyed her voice and her presence. Mom is gone now. She spent the last five years or so in an institution. The visits we had seemed short. Over the years, the illness had been one of here today and gone for awhile. She had battled it like a trooper. In the end, though, she lost out.

In those years, the institution called me a number of times saying she was close to death. During those times, my heart and mind would go back to remember the mother I knew. The one close to death, trodden by this illness, the trouble came as the song went, evils surrounded her as the lyrics would beat out. In the end, her body grew weak, and her Spirit at times were numb, close to death.

There was one time in all those years, the mother I knew was back. She seemed healthy, and of sound mind. At that instance we greeted each other and spent a long ten minutes talking as we used too. I loved to spend time with her, and now as we talked time stopped. Then in a moment, she was gone again. But not before she told me, that the “Lord said it was not time for her to die yet”. How she knew, only the Lord and her can tell. But I nodded, hugged her, and watched as she toddled off to the corner of her room. Gone, far from me. Somewhere in the”wings of a Dove”, my heart wishes we could of spent more time together.

She is gone now. With the Lord. The time for her darkness and pain are no more. Suffering is a past thing and hope is springing forward for her now. I know, somewhere in heaven, the words “on the wings of a snow white dove, God sent his pure sweet love” is ringing full and true. Coming from an angel of a women, I call her mom.

Be sure to cherish your mom today. Hold dear the thoughts true of her presence. You never know when life will throw something in your way. But if it does, remember , there is hope, afterall.

Artist/Band: Classic Country
Lyrics for Song: Wings of a Dove – Ferlin Husky
Lyrics for Album: Classic Country: 1950-1964

On the wings of a snow-white dove
He sends His pure sweet love
A sign from above (sign from above)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)

When troubles surround us, when evils come
The body grows weak (body grows weak)
The spirit grows numb (spirit grows numb)
When these things beset us, He doesn’t forget us
He sends down His love (sends down His love)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)

On the wings of a snow-white dove
He sends His pure sweet love
A sign from above (sign from above)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)

When Noah had drifted on the flood many days
He searched for land (he searched for land)
In various ways (various ways)
Troubles, he had some but wasn’t forgotten
He sent him His love (sent him His love)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)

On the wings of a snow-white dove
He sends His pure sweet love
A sign from above (sign from above)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)

On the wings of a snow-white dove
He sends His pure sweet love
A sign from above (sign from above)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)

On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)