An Old Sweet Song - Georgia On My Mind...

Georgia on my mind. She stays on my mind. Hers was the first heartbeat I discerned. Hers the first voice I heard. Hers the first loving embrace I felt. After so many years, I still miss her. There is no price I wouldn’t pay just to be held by her one more time. She’s gone to be with the One she loved most and Whom she served so well all the years she walked on this earth. Certainly she lives with Him now in eternal Glory, yet she lives on in other beautiful ways in the lives of those who knew her and in the lives of those she left behind. I hear her in Joana’s laugh. I see her in Coco’s tender motherhood. I feel her in Maris’ joie de vivre. I remember her in Victoria’s unflinching courage. I know her in the still small voice that continues to guide me in righteous paths. And I miss her.
Yet, I remember her charge years before her soul slipped the gravity-laden bonds of the earth: “My son, the day will come when you hear that I am gone. You will grieve, but you must carry on. There is work to do and the time is short. So when you hear that I have gone, don’t let your grief hold you back. Know that I expect you to carry on doing what you have been called to do for as long as the Lord allows, knowing that in God’s time, another call will give you leave and we will be together once again. Therefore carry on until your labor is done, knowing that I am content and at peace. And Darrell, my son, don’t ever forget the Lord!”
As Mother’s Day weekend is upon us, Mr. Ray Charles’ timeless song rings in my heart - not for the state - but for the one of a kind woman named Georgia who made me who I am and remains forever in my heart and who stays on my mind. A Happy Mother’s Day to All! Until next time,
Sam