Picture of the day - July 8, 2007

A very special family reunion

For several decades now, the Parker side of my family tree has been getting together every July for our family reunion, a wonderful event that for many of us is a once-per-year opportunity to visit with our uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces and cousins while reminiscing about Grandma and Granddaddy Parker, both of whom went on to be with the Lord many years ago. These get-togethers always leave everyone filled with joy and precious memories, but this year's Parker reunion was quite special indeed... Since my wonderful mom will celebrate her 80th birthday in less than a week, we decided that it would be a great idea to turn this year's reunion into something of a gigantic birthday party. When the invitations were mailed out, every one of them except for mom's included a short note asking everyone who could make it this year to bring along a birthday card for mom. You see, mom absolutely loves getting greeting cards, especially for Christmas and her birthday. And we were all more than happy to oblige! Right in the middle of the festivities, Cheria and my cousin Linda asked mom to take a seat in front of the crowd. She was a bit taken aback by the request, but she could barely contain her excitement as she complied by sitting down in the designated chair. Tears of joy began streaming down her cheeks when Cheria handed her a huge stack of birthday cards and everyone started singing happy birthday to her, and it was quite obvious that she was having the time of her life! Mom ended up with dozens of birthday cards, each filled with loving sentiments and wishes for a long and happy life, but the one that really grabbed her by the heart strings wasn't a card at all, but rather a plain sheet of paper containing the following poem by my cousin Sheila:   My Aunt Mildred I have an aunt named Mildred And she's special, that's for sure With love and kindness, she has endured She was lovely in youth, and even lovelier in old age Because with wisdom she has grown stronger in faith Always there with a helping hand Trying to do whatever she can She has always been quite crafty And simply just plain savvy She can whip up a quilt in the blink of an eye Or make apple butter good enough to make you cry No, there's not many like her anymore Those who put God first, Family, and a Country you'd die for Just like Grandma Effie was, she is full of Southern Charm Always a lady, wishing no one any harm And when our dear Aunt Mildred has gone on We won't have to miss her for long Because we know she'll be in her Heavenly Home Just waiting for the rest of the seeds she has sown...  ... by Sheila Campbell   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!            Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"