Saturday, May 10, 2014

May 11, 2014

"She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."…" Proverbs 31:27-29

It was late Sunday afternoon on January 15, 1950 and a very pregnant Reita Mae Snyder was sitting on a stool in her kitchen in Bourbon, Indiana frying some steaks for dinner.

Trust me, the woman can cook! But the steaks on the stove were about to be interrupted by the "bun in the oven" as labor pains began in a serious way.

Don Snyder devoured both steaks while Reita packed her stuff for the 16.2 miles trip down U.S. 30 to the Murphy Medical Center in Warsaw, Indiana. Around 10:30 that night they welcomed a 9' 15" 22 1/2 " baby boy into the world. They named him Bradley Donn Snyder.

Over the next ten years she gave birth to four daughters and another son and, she took on a step-son. We all call her, "Mom". We still do!

Despite working two jobs in addition to cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, grocery shopping and canning fruits and vegetables she made sure we got to church Sunday morning and Sunday night and midweek prayer meeting. She "brought us up in the way we should go" as the Bible instructs.

Functioning essentially as a single parent, she prayed for us, punished us, and pushed us in the direction of the Christian faith and Christian friends. She wasn't above chasing away friends of ours that she didn't like. If she thought they were a bad influence and we didn't listen you her urging  to stop hanging out with certain friends, she would take it upon herself to suggest they get lost.

Mom wasn't perfect but her love was and her intentions were. You could call some of her methods into question but you had to give her a high grade for tenacity. For Pete's sake, she spanked me when I was 16 years old!

There are seven productive contributing adults making the world a better place because "Mom" built the right stuff into us and beat the bad stuff out of us!

On this Mother's Day, Mom, your children rise up and call you blessed!

Happy Mother's Day!
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