Church Ladies

In honor of women’s history month I thought I would honor some of the women who were important in my own personal history. My mom was the single most important woman in my life, but there were many women who helped me to become me. There was a group of women who I call my church ladies. They were my mother’s friends, my Sunday school teachers and my second mothers. These ladies demonstrated by their daily life what it meant to be a woman.

Peggy was one of my favorite people. She made the best blueberry pie in town. I always knew that if anything ever happened to my family I could count on Peggy. She loved me and I knew it. Iva was my best friend’s mother. She helped me learn to cook. Sister Williams lived on a farm. She taught me to shuck corn. Vonda taught me to love music and the joy of singing in church. Inez had a fancy house and I learned to sit still and act like a lady when we visited her. When I was little I would go to ladies bible class with mom and listen to these women study scripture, pray for one another and talk about their families. On Sundays I saw them dressed in their fine dresses and fancy hats. On Saturday mornings they would show up in their pajamas and make my mom and me join them for a “Come As You Are” breakfast party. They laughed and giggled and ate huge amounts of high fat, high carb foods. Frequently I joined them when they visited the “poor farm.” They taught me the joy of serving those who were not as blessed as we were. I felt loved and wanted by this wonderful group of women. They blessed me richly.

Did you have a group of church ladies who helped you along life’s journey?