Sadie wakes up this morning feeling emotions beyond her control. She remembers that today is her mother Manuela’s 14th anniversary in heaven as she reaches for her iPhone to listen to her daily meditation.

"No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God."-Romans 4:20

Taking out her manuscript, A Tale of One Love Many Worlds, which she plans to publish by year’s end, she will honor her mother today by sharing part of it in a blog telling the world who her mother indeed was and is:

So, how can Manuela be described?  “Mema,” as her father, Papa Kiko, lovingly called her. Sadie knows that her biased description will not give her mother justice; therefore, she opens up her Bible and reads from Proverbs 31:

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

^10 [An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
¹² She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³ She seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
¹⁴ She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from afar.
¹⁵ She rises while it is yet night
    and provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She dresses herself^[with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
¹⁸ She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
²⁰ She opens her hand to the poor
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is known in the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
²⁵ Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
²⁶ She opens her mouth with Wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷ She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands,
    and let her works praise her in the gates.

As the Proverbs 31 woman, Manuela was of noble character.  She was trustworthy, and Arnulfo could always rely on her.  She was a hard worker, diligent in her responsibilities, and not idle.  Adela, her younger sister, described her as:

She was known for her Wisdom and good judgment.  She was known for her compassion and kindness, both within her family and toward others.  She had strength, both physically and in character. She managed her household, provided for her 11 children, and prepared them all for their future.

Most importantly, her worth was not just in her external qualities but also in her reverence of God. 

God created marriage as a metaphor for Christ’s relationship to the church, and Manuela was just that perfect bride. As such, the selfless, hardworking, considerate, and pleasing woman was allowed by God to create a perfect union with Arnulfo. Like the woman in Proverbs 31, Manuela was married to Christ, and Arnulfo became her earthly husband. 

Perhaps her parents weren’t perfect, as is nobody, but their marriage reflected Arnulfo as the head (while Manuela’s neck turned it). Smile.

With a sigh, Sadie continues editing her parents’ love story just as her friend Armonia sends her a video of snow falling in her backyard—white fluffy wisps of nature reminding them that He’s got this. God is always in total control. God is Nature, isn’t He?

Sadie recalls the stories she has gathered from her older sisters Meli and Elva, along with Nena, Martha, and Tia Adela, and she imagines them beginning their marriage in a desolate area.

“I can imagine what my mother went through,” sighs Sadie, “a young girl of almost 18 years old leaving her parents and siblings behind,”  Sadie recalls her mother telling her that her younger brothers wept as she left their ranch, La Presita, close to Matamoritos.    Why wouldn’t they,  when “Mema” was their precious oldest sister who cooked for them, protected them, and joked with them as they were growing up? You see, “Mema” only had two sisters to the six boys she cared for.

“No wonder mom was so strong and independent,” Sadie thinks, “out in the ranch taking care of things as her parents labored with the bigger responsibilities!”

“Yes Chabela,” her sister Meli recalls “we had a great childhood in El Cabarete Ranch, our first home was made of stone, very safe and sturdy.  Our beds were also made of stone, and during summer, our grandmother, Mama Adela, would call us all cousins to sleep at their main house.  We loved it because we would spend time with our cousins (about 12 of us), but Mom would always ask us to do our chores first, then we could go, and she smiled.  We would sleep on large red sandstone slabs under the gorgeous skies during the hot summer months… that rock felt cooler than our air conditioners do today,” she chuckles. 

“Then one day, our hearts were crushed when Dad slowly got off La Paloma, his horse, and dejectedly handed Mom a large, yellow manila folder.” 

“Aqui tienes Meme, la herencia para nuestros hijos.”

 Mother immediately knew what was in the envelope.  Days before, Meli and Elva had overheard them discussing a dam the U.S. government would build close to Guerrero Viejo.

Hugging each other tightly, Meli recalls how they all wept, knowing that the rising waters of the reservoir would soon destroy their birth home.

As if on cue, her friend Armonia texts her, “Allow the wave of pure love to seep into every fiber of your soul. Bathe yourself in that love and know that He is wrapping his arms around you and pure, pure love.”

(Stay tuned for more, but yes, my mother Manuela was this and sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much more!)

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Thank you for reading. If your mother is alive today, text, call, visit, and hug her tightly! If she is in heaven with mine, I’m sure they are looking down on us and smiling with admiration.

xx00xx