Treasures from God

PLUGGERS by Brookins

*

I remember my precious mother in so many ways. 

She would take us grocery shopping, etc. and I remember the excitement of her receiving “Green Stamps” with her change.  As we became older she would give us the job of  getting them home and putting them in the kitchen drawer.  At the time we only knew that this was a saving thing to do.  When she would get enough stamps, then she  could use them as “money”.

I know she did “buy” things with her stash of Green Stamps, although I can not remember what.  I just remember the excitement of it all.  Eventually, she would have gotten out all of her stamps when we were not around, and licked them into the saving books.  The books were fat with full pages of stamps and then rubber-banded, ready to go to the redemption store which was an hour away from us.  Unbeknownst to us, that day would come and something new was in the house from her trek.

In June 1976 I came home from school for the summer, and Mom said to go and get the stamps out of the kitchen drawer.  So I found every stamp stuffed in there for years, plus everything else---a complete disaster!  I laboriously licked every sheet of stamps and every single stamp, wondering what my mother was planning on “buying“.

When I was finally finished, I asked what she was saving up for, and she said it was all for me!  I was completely surprised!  Her plan was to take me and every fat, filled, rubber-banded book of stamps to the redemption center for me to use up her “stash” on things for my soon-to be-new household as I was getting married that summer.

How can I express the joy it was for me to be blessed with the love of a mother so caring and thoughtful.  I had grown up knowing the Green Stamps were so valuable, and here she was giving me more than I had ever seen in my life.

The trek to the big city was one of conversations, giggles; such sweet memories!  Walking into the redemption center, I was in awe, as I had never gone with her before.  It was set up just like a store with one of everything they had for redemption.  We walked around “window shopping” until we began to pick things out for me to set up my house.

There were so many things which her savings acquired for me and my husband-to -be: an iron, the ironing board, a toaster, a set of three plastic mixing bowls, and so many other things which I am ashamed I do not remember.  If she were here, she would be remembering it all, sharing and laughing at the fun we had together!

After almost 4 decades of use the two remaining treasures I have left are the ironing board and one small plastic mixing bowl.  The ironing board is still used often, and the small mixing bowl is pulled out of everyday use and stacked with my varied, treasured, serving bowls as if it is made of lead crystal.

Of all of these things, my most special treasure is my mother.

Thank you, Lord! For my precious mother!

*