Wednesday, June 22, 2022
I liked to call myself Wayne & Margaret’s favorite daughter-in-law. Margaret always smiled. What I called Margaret changed as our relationship changed: from Mrs Slack, to Margaret, Gramma, and then finally: Mom.
The first words Mom said to me was “Oh, hello”. Uncle Bill was in town to take her out to dinner for her birthday. Wayne’s friend Mark had dropped me off in the garage at Peachtree Rd because he was trying to fix me up with Wayne. I was a poor college student. I didn’t go to that birthday dinner, but Mom provided me many meals after graduation while working two minimum wage jobs. I don’t know that she knew this, but they were the best meals of most of my weeks, and sometimes the only balanced nutritious meals. No matter when I showed up or was brought over, I always felt welcomed.
Mom had a sense of humor - but much more subtle that her husband’s. She would drop comments and watch if anyone caught on. I remember the culture shock on the first Christmas I was asked to join the family. Christmases were very different from my family of 6 kids. Once we could read our names or the first letter of it, and we got the go ahead, we would race under the tree to find our gifts under a flurry of flying wrapping paper with Christmas music playing in the background. It was like a wild treasure hunt to find our presents. Imagine my surprise then at my first Christmas at the Slack household: we exchanged hugs and greetings, had something to eat and drink, then eventually moved to the living room and each sat in a chair or on the couch. Mom played Santa, and read the tags on the gifts one at a time - Then we would all watch while one person would carefully open their gift. I probably looked bewildered, because I certainly remember feeling bewildered. And that sense of humor: At least once or twice each year, Mom would deliberately read the wrong names from a tag just to see our reactions.
Mom reminded me of my grandmother, who also lived during the Great Depression: she saved everything, in case you might need it - including wrapping paper… we had to carefully remove the paper from our gifts without tearing, then carefully set it aside to save. Again - so foreign and bewildering to me. Then on maybe my second or third Christmas with the family, I happened to see Rob quietly crumple one of his wrappings when no one was looking… and I felt less off balance.
My sister Celia described Mom perfectly when I notified her about Mom’s passing: “Margaret was a beautiful example of a someone who lived out her vocation as a wife and mother, grandmother and great-grandmother”. Her mission field was her family. Matthew chapter 7 - every good tree brings forth good fruit, and the evil tree brings forth evil fruit. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.
The fruits I saw of Mom’s life were the fruits of the Holy Spirit: Doesn’t Galatians 5 describe Mom perfectly? love, & joy in her family/friends, peace, patience, always a kind word (kindness), goodness, faithfulness- even at end of life she worshiped in community, gentleness and self-control. She certainly showed me all these attributes.
Since I couldn’t be at the burial, I wanted to quote from the Song of Farewell which I prayed over Mom on Easter morning after she passed away: May the choirs of angels come to greet you. May they speed you to paradise. May the Lord enfold you in His mercy, may you find eternal life.
I firmly believe that when Mom left us on Easter morning, choirs of angels did come to greet her. They did lead her to paradise. And I believe she heard that wonderful greeting “well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord”.
