May 6, 2025
Have you ever watched a storm? Have you been outside, hearing and feeling every change as it intensified? It’s exciting. And stormwatching is as old as time.
Stormy Skies and Childhood Eyes
It’s May, and you know what happens in May.
‼️ My mom shares a story on the blog.
😉 The only person I like to share the space with.
As soon as I asked for a story, she had it ready! And her story is set in her own childhood, spending time with her mother (my grandmother).
It’s so captivating, the yearning of each generation to hear the stories of “before.”
(Aren’t you grateful to the generations before you, for insisting on literacy and learning? And grateful also for sharing the tales of days gone by — so well that you can picture it clearly.)
My mom took us to the old homeplace quite a bit when we were children. We learned some things about farming, and about their meager lives, bound to the soil and marked by scarcity.
So come with me today, as we go with my mom — out the wooden screen door, and onto the rough back steps.
(I’ll see you at the end, after you get your little gift she’s giving you.)
Here’s my mom to take you there. It’s her childhood, her home, and her mom. 💖
The Magic of Watching Storms as Kids
Have you experienced the mighty storms we have had this year?
Have you seen the bright lightning and heard the thunder rolling through?
My mother was fascinated by storms.
We lived in the flats of Louisiana, with lots of sky. That made for really visible storms.
When one was on the way, she would say, “Let’s go sit on the steps and watch it.”
There we would be, crowded on the steps as the lightning flashed and zig-zagged through the sky. Then we would wait for the huge roll of thunder.
Timing the Tempest: Lessons in Lightning and Thunder
We had to count the seconds between the lightning and thunder, to see how many miles away the center of the storm really was. Every count brought the storm closer. We were expert backyard meteorologists.
That “poor child’s science” still serves me well. In fact, because of my mother I have never been afraid when it is storming.
Running Toward the Roar
I still have the excitement of long ago when a storm is approaching. The bright-eyed gazing into the darkening sky, watching the edge of the advancing rain.
Of course I don’t take chances. My mother carefully taught us to stay away from the pasture fence and from the lone trees. We understood that the lone trees were an attraction for lightning strikes, and we also understood that metal barbed-wire fencing could carry an electrical charge. We actually lost a few cows who sought shelter under a tree and met with a sad fate.
When it was merely rain on the way, we were allowed to play in it to our hearts’ content. But we knew the signs of stormy weather, and every squall was greeted with a cautious (and sensible) mix of daring and discretion.
Her “storm-theater invitations” to us were one of the many things she did to train and nurture us. We were fully aware of the burdens of her life. Thus, the importance of her putting aside the endless labors to sit beside us was cherished.
The power of those skies can serve as a tangible reminder of the might and authority of God. Storms are a staggering display of God’s strength, and our weakness.
“The heavens declare the glory of God.” (Psalm 19:1)
“He controls the times and the seasons.” (Daniel 2:21)
I am thankful He is in charge, and that I am merely His servant.
Strong And Courageous
My mother was an extremely strong, courageous, and balanced woman.
Throughout my life I often find myself thinking, “What would Mom do?”
She was a faithful and disciplined person. She cultivated a life rooted in unwavering principles. This was demonstrated in her words and in her actions as a constant example for those around her.
After she was gone from this earth, I came across a paper in her belongings. I don’t know if she copied it, or composed it herself, but it was a single page in her steady, neat handwriting.
This paper, which she titled “Nevertheless,” captures a thoughtful exploration of a meaningful idea.
It meant so much to me that she kept it among her treasures, and that it came to me with value and purpose.
Today, that paper is offered to you as a gift, in return for your visit here. It has been typed neatly for you, and I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for coming to hear my story today.
… That’s my sweet mama sharing her story.
Thanks for 🎉 celebrating her today along with me. 🥰
At 86, she has built a lot of stories, and shared a lot of smart things.
😄Just before she sent me this story, she was pushing a heavy object around the outside of her house using her hand trucks. She is unstoppable. 🧨 Dynamite really does come in small packages.
She also has given you a little printable page, a peek into some of the inspiration that my grandmother made use of. These were things she did to live out her values and keep her faithful perspective. Just click the square image above (Nevertheless) to be taken to the document. You can download it and print for yourself!
Happy Mother’s Day.
But really, happy every day.
I’ll always have stuff on the blog for all the mamas who are in the trenches the other 364 days of the year! 😉
Previous posts by my mom included these:
(If you liked today’s story, or my mom, feel free to show her some love in the comments below.💖)
By the way, 😎
Some of the products mentioned as links on the blog are affiliate links. That means a merchant may give me a tiny reward if you buy something I recommended to you. Tiny rewards like that, plus the sale of my own products, help to reduce the ongoing cost of the blog. (Or, as my husband calls it, my expensive hobby. 😉)
Find out more about that here.
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-Grammye
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I hope you’ll find time to acknowledge the power and authority of God during your busy days.
As a mom, you are often overwhelmed with the weight of responsibility, and it seems your fatigue is always one step away from failure.
When you can retreat to those back steps with your little ones to acknowledge God’s authority together, you plant a substantial truth in your hearts: That God is in control.
