My mom... Our mom, biologically speaking..... but a woman called ma, mom, mawmaw by so many people.. a woman who literally never met a stranger.. the person who gave me my idea of christmas - every year so many people crowded into our small house; no one ever turned away, all welcomed; no child that showed up ever left without a present; a time of family, food and fellowship in most senses of the word.
She is more responsible for the person I am now than anyone. She helped instill a love of education and reading in me. She charged us to think for ourselves, to ask questions, to find our own answers instead of blindly accepting others'. She taught me to stand up for others; to not be afraid to speak up; to help those less fortunate whenever I can. She taught me the value of family - those of blood and those of choice. From her I learned to love fiercely. My love of recreation stems a great deal from values she taught me.
She was a strong woman who never really saw it in herself. She battled through so much. she sometimes thought of herself as weak, but she was a lioness when it came to those she loved or her sense of family. She raised a family and worked hard for most of her life. She was married to, and loved, a difficult man who at times made it very difficult to do either. It always amazed me how she could do all that.
She was orphaned young and didn't really know a real family connection until she married my dad. A sense of family was one of the things she held strongest to her entire life. She always wanted everyone who came in contact with our family to feel welcomed and a bit of that family connected. And she succeeded.
She was a generous and giving woman..sometimes even to her detriment. If you asked anything of her and she could make it happen, it did. Even at times when she did without to make it happen. She always felt like she didn't do enough for others and was slow to ask for things she needed. She always talked about being able to repay the things that were done for her, never realizing it was us who would be forever in her debt for all she did for us.. Taking all of the things I have done for her and add it all up..and it would still be only a fraction of everything she did for, and gave to, me. It is pretty much the same with everyone else...
She was a religious woman. She wanted us kids to be exposed to it as we grew up and she was very vocal about what she believed. At the same times, she always told us to find our own beliefs and not just repeat what she said or believed. If we came to the same view on the same path, that was wonderful to her. If we came to a different view or a different path, she loved that as well. I actually loved talking religious stuff with her: she could express herself well, but she listened even better; and she was always trying to reconcile her views with mine trying to keep old, or establish new, connections. I think it tickled her when I could get her to see things from my perspective or got her to look at her own in a new way. Come to think of it, she was the same way with politics (of all the people I know, I valued and enjoyed conversations about politics and religion with her more than just about anyone else I know).
Emma O'Ferrell Coley.. a true angel while she was here on Earth... and now she has gone on... I hope she is with her mom and dad now.. I hope pop is there and making up for the things he needs to make up for (maybe her getting to ride his ass for a few thousand years would even things up a bit..lol).. If wicky is there, I hope he is atoning for what he needs to atone for.. I would love to hear the conversations between her and David, I know she missed him horribly... If everyone who has passed on but whose lives were touched by her are waiting to welcome her, then I truly believe heaven is going to be kind of logjammed for a bit...
She is more responsible for the person I am now than anyone. She helped instill a love of education and reading in me. She charged us to think for ourselves, to ask questions, to find our own answers instead of blindly accepting others'. She taught me to stand up for others; to not be afraid to speak up; to help those less fortunate whenever I can. She taught me the value of family - those of blood and those of choice. From her I learned to love fiercely. My love of recreation stems a great deal from values she taught me.
She was a strong woman who never really saw it in herself. She battled through so much. she sometimes thought of herself as weak, but she was a lioness when it came to those she loved or her sense of family. She raised a family and worked hard for most of her life. She was married to, and loved, a difficult man who at times made it very difficult to do either. It always amazed me how she could do all that.
She was orphaned young and didn't really know a real family connection until she married my dad. A sense of family was one of the things she held strongest to her entire life. She always wanted everyone who came in contact with our family to feel welcomed and a bit of that family connected. And she succeeded.
She was a generous and giving woman..sometimes even to her detriment. If you asked anything of her and she could make it happen, it did. Even at times when she did without to make it happen. She always felt like she didn't do enough for others and was slow to ask for things she needed. She always talked about being able to repay the things that were done for her, never realizing it was us who would be forever in her debt for all she did for us.. Taking all of the things I have done for her and add it all up..and it would still be only a fraction of everything she did for, and gave to, me. It is pretty much the same with everyone else...
She was a religious woman. She wanted us kids to be exposed to it as we grew up and she was very vocal about what she believed. At the same times, she always told us to find our own beliefs and not just repeat what she said or believed. If we came to the same view on the same path, that was wonderful to her. If we came to a different view or a different path, she loved that as well. I actually loved talking religious stuff with her: she could express herself well, but she listened even better; and she was always trying to reconcile her views with mine trying to keep old, or establish new, connections. I think it tickled her when I could get her to see things from my perspective or got her to look at her own in a new way. Come to think of it, she was the same way with politics (of all the people I know, I valued and enjoyed conversations about politics and religion with her more than just about anyone else I know).
Emma O'Ferrell Coley.. a true angel while she was here on Earth... and now she has gone on... I hope she is with her mom and dad now.. I hope pop is there and making up for the things he needs to make up for (maybe her getting to ride his ass for a few thousand years would even things up a bit..lol).. If wicky is there, I hope he is atoning for what he needs to atone for.. I would love to hear the conversations between her and David, I know she missed him horribly... If everyone who has passed on but whose lives were touched by her are waiting to welcome her, then I truly believe heaven is going to be kind of logjammed for a bit...
I love you Ma! I doubt I ever said it enough, but I tried to say it as often as I could. and I may have never said thank you enough...but thank you. Thank you for your love, your support (especially during my many leaps of faith), and for all the good in me that came from you. I miss you but I know you will be with me always...
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