BY PATRICK ERVIN
Publisher
Emotions are still raw and the wounds are still fresh. Two months ago, my mother passed away and I’ve heard people throughout my life try to articulate the indescribable devastation. My mother, Mattie Thomas was the youngest in her family and the last living sibling. She worked more than 50 years in nursing at Delta Regional Medical Center in Greenville. She was a believer in Christ, a great cook, an excellent singer, visually beautiful, a confidant and wise counselor to many. As the youngest of her seven children, I had the honor of eulogizing her on March 19 and I told the friends, family and community members gathered at Grace Outreach Bible Church about my close relationship with her. Just about every Sunday around 6 p.m., I would go and sit on her couch at a terrible angle to the living room TV. She would be sitting in her worn recliner by the front door with the best possible television angle. Comically (to me) she would fuss at people on Lifetime movies or at those providing awful responses to questions on Family Feud.
Our relationship was one that was full of honesty, open communication, and friendship after I became an adult. She never had a problem reiterating her stance on my responsibilities as a husband and father – and she never had a problem evaluating my performance in both areas. As a child, my perspective about her was one of a stern, disciplined, no-nonsense taskmaster. During my baseball games she was the loudest person in the stands, while my father was possibly the most chilled. She passed away three weeks before my birthday, which had become the occasion where she would bake me about three dozen teacakes. My mom had six other children in whom she saw only the best and wished only the best for them. And with this outlook on parenting, it led me to start thinking about, pondering constantly and delving into the strength fidelity of a mother’s love. This conclusion of the matter is clear. The depth of this most powerful force on the face of the earth is second only to the love of God. Tenderly, unconditionally and forgiving are the enduring qualities of maternal love.
As I prepare to spend my first Mother’s Day without her, my advice to anyone who has their dear mother still with them is to cherish every moment, love, forgive, honor and reflect on what she means as she lives on. To those whose membership I’ve recently joined as a surviving child, the aforementioned advice still applies. There are days when I think about Mattie Thomas when both the tears and laughter seem to come out of nowhere. The emotional responses to her absence are simply acknowledgements of her consistent presence throughout my life. And for all those who have provided comfort, support, prayers and words of encouragement, they are all very much appreciated. Would I have loved to have my mother here with me a bit longer? Absolutely! But, when I tell you because of the tea cakes, the Sunday evenings, and the love that she had for her baby boy, there are absolutely no regrets!
