Just Another Kokomo Sunday

It all began at 6:30 a.m.

Yeah, I know...it doesn't sound fun to you, either. See, since it was Mother's Day and all, my sisters and I were going to prepare the Sunday meal so Mother could have a break. This meant getting up early. 6:30 a.m. Of course, being the lazy youngest child that I am, I did not let myself be dragged out of bed until seven o'clock. Hey, those thirty minutes of sleep do wonders for a girl's soul.

I stumble into the kitchen and grunt a "good morning" and "happy mother's day" to my mother and two sisters who were already being wonderful domestic ladies. My dear mother, even though we told her about us making the meal, still cannot stay in bed past six o'clock, and so was out and about, doing laundry, and admiring the dedication of her three sleepy daughters. Five knives, 15 potatoes, one head of cauliflower, a pan of unbaked rolls, two heads of lettuce, one cast iron pan full of bacon, several breakfast intermissions, two Jon Foreman cd's later....and we were done. Done being a relative term, of course. The rest must be completed after church. I finished loading the dishwasher, dumped soap in it, and pushed the appropriate buttons, before scurrying off to my room to grab my Bible and notebook and head out the door.

We pull into the church drive at precisely 10:05 a.m. Anita comments to Mother how if we made lunch instead of her, we could be this early for church every Sunday morning! Church starts at 10:00. I chuckle and am reminded, once again, how often I take for granted what my Mother does. Walking into church (aka. our air conditioning shop), I am greeted with smiles and hugs from all present; from little cell phone stealing John to his father Mr. Larry, who is adjusting the sound connections to his guitar on the other side of the room. I have missed my church family. Susie and Mr. Larry start us off with songs and pause to listen to the occasional verses being read and stories/testimonies being shared. With her face full of energetic love, Ms. Cindy shares the latest update on her neighbors who hang out with their beer by the creek as they try to figure her and this whole "Jesus-thing" out. And we sing again. Derick, with his three beautifully brown children crawling all over him, puts in a word of thanks for all the mothers in the room. He lovingly nudges his wife sitting next to him on the old truck seat. Their young love is strong. Daddy hands out Greek definitions and talks about boldly coming before the thrown of God to get grace when we need it. I could feel our hearts regain strength with the reminder that God longs to help and does not abandon us when we have struggles. After standing to sing many more joyful songs, we join hands in a circle and talk to Jesus. There is still hurt, still pain, but with each other and God, we can get through it all .

My stomach reminds me of the time as I drive back home. Rachel comes with us for lunch, since she was going to help Susie with a photo shoot in the afternoon. Her cheerful chatter is a healthy addition to the day, since laughter is always frequently exhibited. Once more in the kitchen, we all work together to set out the Mother's Day lunch. My favorite Uncle Mark walks in with dessert. Uncle Tim, his girlfriend Brenda, and the two girls carry in drinks of all variety. Grandma comes over to give her "little Belle" a great big hug and kiss. I always have to laugh inside just a little whenever she does....I love her. Esther, Derick, and their three little munchkins contribute a platter of meat; or, according to Nikki, "the turkeys!" I love how she makes singular things plural. Delightful. After much more rushing, squishing past people, oven visits, and iced glasses, I yell out to the living room "we're ready!" Natisha jumps into my arms and declares that she is sitting by me to eat. We all manage to fit into the kitchen (as always), and Daddy leads us in prayer. The mothers get their food first and everyone finds a spot to sit, eat, and chat. Susie and I cannot finish the food on our plates and blame the pre-lunch "picking." Rachel's mother, brother, and sister walk in the house and talk with us while everyone finishes their food. "Marietta didn't tell us y'all were still eating! Or else we never would have come over....." My mother and her hospitality--another reason I love her.

Coffee and afternoon conversation soon has me settling a little too comfortably into the love seat. Susie laughs at our laziness. Eventually, we jump up to do the dishes before our eyes shut on us. Susie's photo shoot is scheduled for four, so Rachel, her, and I begin the journey to Hattiesburg. Along the way, we add Heather to our party. As Susie and Rachel photograph an adorable couple and their dogs, Heather and I run off to shop; only to find that Hudson’s is closed on Sundays. Bah, humbug. A quick tour of Burke’s Outlet helps me find what I need, and we stop at Starbucks before picking up the girls. They, of course, were buying water at a downtown restaurant and made us wait for many, many minutes. During which, Heather and I died laughing as we saw this old woman running out of a building and to her car. Who knew what happened...gotta love Hattiesburg.

We ate at La Fiesta Brava to satisfy our Mexican cravings before heading home. Susie, of course, exclaimed about the adorable couple the whole time, while Rachel stated her extreme dislike of dogs. The journey home also witnessed Susie holding two iPod Touches to look up a Bible verse in two different versions. Technology these days... Once home, Heather and I promptly begin sharing our music libraries. After much searching, confusion, and help from a friend, we were finally able to get the music from her iTouch to my computer. The feeling of victory lingers still….along with the enjoyment of new music! Kiss Me Thru the Phone on my computer? I can die satisfied now.

Somewhere during the course of Heather, Rachel, Susie, and I relaxing in our bedroom…we were invaded by my three little cousins once-removed. The five-year old twins and their seven year old brother were thoroughly enjoying Auntie Carolita’s room and sticky notes. ‘Tisha’s giggle cannot be replaced in my heart; Ambrosio’s craziness is unmatched; and Nikki’s asking for my name every two minutes warmed my soul. Who cares if she doesn’t remember which auntie I am? I knew she still loved me. But, I still swear they were on something. I think Anita dosed them up with caffeine before sending them into my room. She will die soon…

We eventually moved our adventures into the living room and turned the new couch into a ship. Tisha pulled out her little purse and begin handing me pieces of paper with which to make “a hat.” I proceed to show both of the twins how to make boats out of paper. And we float them in our “water-filled” laps. I was amazed at how quickly they caught on to making them. Sure, their boats were a little crooked, and their hats bent out of shape, but progress is progress! And I was impressed.

They left with their parents once the sun had already been snoring for several hours. And only my parents, two sisters, and I remained. I went back to my spot on my bed and thought through the day with smiles and sighs. Even after the long day, the busy schedule, and the drama not documented here, I did enjoy my Sunday. Because, I have a mother whom I love dearly, a church family who is real, a sister who is crazy in love, and a small town in which I have missed existing.

It’s good to be home.