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Monday, August 12, 2013

Thoughts for a Good Life

 
While visiting my Memaw, on her 78th birthday this weekend, the cover of this book grabbed my attention. I love the colors and that title! Who wouldn't want to peek at those Thoughts for a Good Life? I thought to myself, this looks like something Mom would have had tucked away on one of her many bookshelves. I wanted that book. I felt like I needed that book. I picked it up and Memaw said, "Oh! I found that in a box of your mother's stuff the other day!" She asked me if I would like to have it. Yes. Yes, please. That's all I could say.
My mother has been gone 6 years now, she lost her battle with cancer and I lost the most amazing person I will ever know. This is as much as I will say on the loss of my mother. It is still too painful to accurately share a description of the void she left in my life. I do love talking about my mother though, I have many wonderful memories & stories. She was such a thoughtful, caring person. She was a great friend to many. This little book serves as a testament to that. When I opened the cover here's what I found inside:
"To Debs, In gratitude for your guidance, understanding & constant friendship.
 Love & Friendship, Zuria 4-18-75
It gave me a bit of a thrill to read that because for months now, this lady, Zuria (Mom called her Zuree) has been in my thoughts. Not daily or even weekly, but every so often lately I've been recalling memories of Zuree. I was around 8 or 9 when Zuree passed away. I remember, as a child, thinking she had the most exotic name. At the time, I was puzzled by my mother's friendship with her. I couldn't figure out how she fit in our world. Mom was a school teacher. As a family, our social circles were school, church and the Jay-cees (a civic group my parents were members of in the 80's) Zuree was in none of those circles. Also she lived alone, in a lime green house. My mother's visits became more and more frequent just before Zuree passed away. Of course, now I assume she was terminally ill and my mother was being a good friend and doing the things friend's do during that time. At 8 though, I didn't make that connection; I just knew mom had me stay in the car while she brought food to exotic Zuree in the lime green house.
 I have always been curious about Zuree. She's been on my mind lately and now she shows up in this book! I'll probably never understand how Mom & Zuree came to be friends. As curious as I am about their connection, I'm glad that there is sort of a mystery about it. I like wondering about the little pieces of her life like this. It keeps her story going for me. If I know a thing about my mother, well, then I know it. But with this, the Zuree story, I don't know it and it can have many beginnings & endings to think about.
I'm grateful for this new little piece to their friendship puzzle though, and thankful to Memaw for finding it and allowing me to have it. Inside there is a thought for each day for 1 year. I'm going to post each day's thought, in the hopes it will get me blogging daily!
 
August 12th - Every man's life is a fairy-tale written by God's finger.
 
 

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