Tell Me A Story: Happy Mother's Day

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

http://tellmeastory-marcia.blogspot.com/

My grandson, Joshua,

asked me to tell him a story

that taught me a life lesson.

It was an assignment

from his high school English teacher.

I told Joshua about my red wool suit.

My Red Wool Suit

Mom made a double-breasted, red wool suit (skirt and jacket) for me to wear to my Homecoming Dance in 1967. I was 17, and a senior at Liberty High School, in Liberty, Missouri. Mom hated to shop, but she went with me, and let me pick out the fabric. We found the perfect red wool fabric at the Jones’ Store in Independence. I loved it…at first.

Mom was an excellent seamstress, and the red wool suit was beautifully tailored. All my friends at LHS talked about what they were wearing to Homecoming. I was a bit embarrassed that my mom was sewing my homemade outfit. Most of my friends had plenty of money, and shopped on the Country Club Plaza, or downtown Kansas City. My friends bragged that they would be wearing the hottest color that year: maroon….a deep burgundy. I never had a maroon/burgundy outfit, and I wanted one.

I pouted: “Mom, all the girls are wearing burgundy outfits to Homecoming – except for me. It’s not fair.”

MOM: “I made you a beautiful red wool suit. I’m not going shopping again.”

I kept up the “poor me” barrage until Mom relented. She gave me cash, and asked our neighbor, Fran, to take me shopping in Kansas City. Fran helped me pick out a gorgeous maroon/burgundy dress. It was double-breasted with a unique, diagonal criss-cross in the back.

I walked into the '67 Homecoming dance, and felt on top of the world in my trendy burgundy wool, tea-length dress. All was wonderful until I spotted my friend, Irene, walking toward me wearing the exact same burgundy wool, tea-length dress. She was as appalled as I was.

Later that evening at home, I threw myself on the bed, and cried.

“I wish I’d worn the red wool suit that you made for me,” I said to Mom.

“You looked beautiful tonight, Marcia. You’ll be able to wear the red wool suit another time.”

I did. I wore the red wool suit to my first “real” job interview. I got the job, and later my boss told me one of the reasons he hired me as a bond underwriter was my professional appearance. He specifically mentioned the red wool suit.

The day before Mom went to Heaven, in 2003, we said things to each other for the last time on this side of eternity.

“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings about the red wool suit you made for me in high school,” I said. “I loved that suit, and I’ve worn it so many times. I was embarrassed back-in-the-day (36 years earlier) that you sewed it for me, but now that I’m older, and a mother myself, I realize what a precious gift you gave to me.”

Mom cried.

“I never told you...” she said. “I never told you that I saved money from the jar I kept my grocery money in to buy the red wool fabric. You complained there was no Coke or potato chips that week, but it was because I saved the money for your red wool suit. When you changed your mind, and wanted a burgundy dress, I took money out of the grocery jar again. Your dad and I went without meat for a month to pay for the $35 dress from Harzfelds.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

I cried.

“I didn’t want you to think we were poor. We were rich in so many other ways.”

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers who sacrifice and love their children even when they are unlovely.

Thanks for stopping by!

Come back often, and invite a friend!

Marcia Norwood

America's STORYTELLER

Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

http://tellmeastory-marcia.blogspot.com/

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 2014

My Cup Runneth Over

Thou preparest a table before me

in the presence of mine enemies:

Thou has anointed my head with oil;

My cup runneth over.

Psalm 23:5

The Holy Bible

American Standard Version

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://biblehub.com/psalms/23-5.htm

Sometimes I'm speechless --

not often -- but sometimes

God gives me a "Holy Hush"

so I will listen to Him.

This week He's speaking to my heart

in waves of memories

of the past ten years with my chosen children,

my daughters from China.

It's playing in my mind like a movie.

First my daughters were pictures I held in my hand.

I was 50 years old,

a grandmother, and a mother of two adult,

homemade (biological) kids:

Kristin (born in 1972),and Benjamin (born in 1976),

AND pregnant with (adoption) paperwork

for nine months with each girl.

Sarah Zheng-Kang and Faith Fu Ju

walked into my life at hotels in China:

Sarah in 1999, and Faith in 2002.

God gave me the amazing opportunity

to teach them how to speak, read and write English,

and more importantly how to love and be loved,

and how to be a part of a family.

CLICK on each image to ENLARGE.

May 17, 2014,

Sarah Zheng-Kang and Faith Fu Ju

will walk across a stage, and hand me a rose.

I will hand them their high school diploma.

They taught me just as much as I taught them.

We needed each other.

FEARLESS FAITH. Faith pets the crocodile! All the children (boys and girls) from the orphanage are dressed alike.

There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can't.

What you've got to do is turn around and say, "Watch me."

http://fhe-mo.org/

Faith and Sarah are no longer orphans. They are beautiful young women of faith.

"You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people, and members of God's household."

Ephesians 2:19

The Holy Bible

We needed each other.

"God sets the lonely in families, He brings out those which are bound with chains..."

Psalm 68:6

The Holy Bible

God taught us how to widen our embrace to love each other.

My cup runneth over.

Faith's GOLD Honor Sash and GOLD Cord for Academic Honor Roll All Semesters in High School; Red/White/Blue Cord for USA Swim Team; Gold/Blue Cord for Kansas City Blazers Swim Team; Red Cord for American RED CROSS. Copyright 2014 Marcia Norwood

Sarahs GOLD Honor Sash and GOLD Cord for Academic Honor Roll All Semesters in High School; Blue Cord for Business Award; Light Blue Cord for Christian Character (Generosity).
Copyright 2014 Marcia Norwood

Are we there yet?

Graduation Rehearsal

Preview of Slideshow:

Each FHE graduate

(Families for Home Education)

is featured in three photos.

http://fhe-mo.org/

Faith was chosen

to be one of two student speakers at graduation.

God gave Faith a vision when she was a little girl that she would speak at her high school graduation. She began preparing the speech when she was eight years old, and added to it as she grew.

Here's a preview:

"Good afternoon, fellow graduates and honored guests. God is great...but sometimes life ain't good. When I pray...it doesn't always turn out like I think it should."

These are the words to Martina McBride's song, "Anyway."

I know it's poor grammar to say, "ain't" - but I agree with Martina. Sometimes...life ain't good!

I'm Faith.

I was born in China. I lived at an orphanage for the first eight years of my life. I had no parents, nothing of my own. Children at the orphanage shared clothes: whatever was available. There was never enough food.

I was abandoned, abused, and neglected. I was taken to the top of a mountain in Northern China, and dedicated to Buddha.

I was eight years old when I was adopted, by my American parents, and came to the United States.

I didn't speak English.

I didn't know anything about the American culture or food.

I didn't know what a family was.

I didn't know any God but Buddha.

I learned about Jesus from my American parents, and at Sunday School. I asked Jesus into my heart, and accepted Him as my Savior.

I was prepared to be killed for my belief in Jesus, because I knew some people in China, who were killed for their faith.

Mom homeschooled my sister, Sarah, my niece, Megan, and me. It only took me three months to learn to speak English. It took me longer to learn to read and write English.

I'm grateful we have freedom in Missouri, to homeschool. Homeschool gave me time to learn about love, and how to be a part of a family. I had time to recover from multiple surgeries, and time to pursue my passion for competitive swimming.

I was also able to take college courses like Quantum Physics, Advanced Calculus, and Psychology.

I am no longer an orphan. I refuse to let my past define who I am, or who I will become.

I have big dreams to be an Olympian, and a cardiologist.

I want to inspire people.

I want someone to look at me and say, "Because of you I didn't give up."

Remember Martina's song?

"God is great...but sometimes life ain't good."

Here's more of Martina's song:

"You can chase a dream
that seems so out of reach...
and you know
it might not every come your way...
DREAM it anyway."

God promises:

"I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
and also your daughters.
Your old men will dream,
your young men will see visions.
I'll even pour out my Spirit on the servants,
men and women both."

Joel 2:28-29
The Message Bible

Chase your dreams.

Do it - anyway!

Martina McBride: "Anyway"

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZjTBW-raGw

Faith Fu Ju Norwood

"FU" means blessing or great reward after much hard work.

"Faith" is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things unseen. Hebrews 11:1

"Someday - they will make a movie about your life,"

my granddaughter, (Faith's niece) Megan said.

My cup runneth over.

Daughters Faith & Sarah, Grandsons Caleb and Joshua; Granddaughters Megan Jewell and Emily Grace

Happy Mother's Day!

Marcia Norwood
Mom to Sarah, Faith, Kristin and Benjamin
Grandmother to Joshua, Megan, Emily and Caleb

America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Beautiful SONG for Mothers on Mother's Day!

A Mother's Prayer

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re5EIUIXbhc

Tell Me A Story

TELL ME A STORY

Saturday, May 10, 2014

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY: THE RED WOOL SUIT

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 2014: MY CUP RUNNETH OVER

AMERICA'S STORYTELLER, Marcia Norwood