Happiest of Happy Birthdays Mama!

At the very tender age of twenty Sarah came home devastated from the doctor.  His prognosis about her life was very grim.  Sarah had been born with one kidney tube that was malformed.  This caused her to have frequent problems with her kidney, ureter, and bladder.  They had given her a list of behaviors that she would need to follow.

1.  Rest for part of every day.  (Obviously those doctors did NOT know my Mom very well.  She had a hard time sitting in a chair for five minutes, forget lying down resting for part of every day)!
2.  NEVER MARRY.
3.  NEVER GIVE BIRTH.  With the weakness of this part of her body, adding the additional stress of a pregnancy would most probably be fatal to herself, and possibly the child as well.
4.  Not live very long.

Imagine for just a moment.  You are twenty years old.  This is a time when we are supposed to feel as though we will live forever!  Life is all ahead of us. 

The cruel reality is now thrust upon you that this cheerful outlook is not for you!  You were destined to spend most of your life in misery and suffering, and your life would not last for long.  How would you react?  What would you do?

Sarah called her friend Emma.  She was sobbing so hard that Emma had to tell her, "Slow down Sarah.  Take a deep breath." 

Slowly Sarah was able to calm her emotions enough to share her woeful story.  Imagine Sarah's shock when Emma started to laugh.  Laughing did NOT seem the proper response to such sorrow.

Finally Emma said, "Oh Sarah, you're going to learn to take such good care of yourself that you'll out live the rest of us."

Did Emma know how prophetic she was being at that moment?

Sarah (who was my Mama) later said, "I thought, you mean I can do that?  That's a possibility?"

She became very pro-active about her health.  Sarah did research about different kinds of treatments for kidney disease.  She learned about herbs, vitamins, western medicine, and alternative medicine.  Obviously she learned how to take care of herself.  Sarah lived to be NINETY-FIVE!

Sarah served an LDS Mission for 18 months.  While she was there she met a handsome young man with golden brown melty eyes.  They married 4 years later.  (He served as a Paratrooper and Infantryman in the U.S. Army during World War II.  She waited for him with his ring on her finger).

She had eight pregnancies, three of us that survived, and one little boy who died during a very traumatic birth.  (He was full-term).

Sarah and her husband fostered seven children officially, and about twenty unofficially.  There home was always open to their friends, family, children's friends, and anybody who needed a safe place to be.

Mama (Sarah) once told me, "You do not need to give birth to be a Mother."

Her wise advice has been such a rich blessing to me when I was not able to have as many children as I longed for.  I pulled kids in and loved them, and was blessed far more than than I blessed them.

Oh what a blessing Emma was in that teetering moment of Sarah's life.  I'm ever so grateful for Emma's advice.  I know that my brother, sister, in-laws, siblings, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great grandchildren are also grateful!

I'm so grateful for being born of such a woman.  Thanks Sarah my beloved Mama for being so strong, funny, positive, loving, and energetic.  I will continue to learn from you until once again we are reunited in the world of spirits!