This woman. Jana Powers. If I'm still a goose, then she is the one and only, Mother Goose.
My mother is my favorite teacher. My strongest ally. My reliable confidant. My loudest cheerleader. My undeniable mirror. Her enduring gifts to me are a love of reading, an intrepid nature, and a flare for the dramatic. She is the most determined woman I have ever known. When Jana Powers knows what she wants, she works to make it happen. She wanted to play golf, so she learned. She decided to fly a plane, so she and my dad bought one. She flew so well she could take a left landing strip while a Boeing 747 touched downed at the same time on 10,000 feet of parallel concrete runways. Once, she thought she might like to scuba dive, so she did- in underwater caverns. Jana has not left one stone unturned because she works well under pressure. She taught me the secret to thinking bigger and making it happen. You work for it. Her job and her identity were one. She was a warrior nurse- tough enough to handle herself in the operating room. She excelled at giving gas-- an expression for anesthesia that never ceased to embarrass me growing up. I may think I understand what it takes to work in surgery, but I only glimpse the strength of character and confidence it takes to hold another person’s life in your hands. Although she is no longer a nurse, she is still a warrior. Jana lights up, telling the most extraordinary war stories about her travels in the air, through a cavern, up a canyon, or down a mountain. These magnificent tales transport listeners from Scotland to Maine to the Virgin Island, across the U.S. and back to her beloved cabin on a pond. If you ask about food, you better be prepared to sit back and listen a while. Jana’s flying days ended but not her escapades. She has forged ahead into more intimidating stuff like retirement, weddings, grandchildren, and the best redecorating campaigns anywhere in the South. Her grandmother name is JaJa. This is not short for Jana. That is too obvious. Her name is lovingly pronounced zsa zsa- as in Zsa Zsa Gabor. And that’s her to a T- sparkling diamonds, poofy hair, and a compelling accent- even though it’s a southern one. With a chandelier in her closet, a fireplace in her bathroom, and a precious King Charles Spaniel by her side, JaJa is dressed in fabulous. She is one of the boujee-est grandmothers around. She earned the right to be boujee. Her on-call lifestyle meant she sacrificed her body’s health over and over again to help deliver babies across four counties. Mama went to the hospital on holidays and nights, and whenever the beeper went off insisting she get there stat. If the work was tough, she was tougher. Haitian people have a saying, "Live Wrecked for Jesus." This means picking up your cross and following Him. Matthew 16:24 tells us that Jesus told his disciples, “if any man will come after me, let Him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. It didn’t matter if Mama was working from midnight to dawn, she carried her cross- a kidney disease she developed in her early twenties. A cross is what hurts you most, what leaves you torn, frustrated, or empty. When this cross brings you to your knees, God is waiting with His strength. He sustained Mama as she excelled in her calling to a profession that saves others. The kidney disease silently ravages her body, but she follows Christ. She lives wrecked for Jesus. Mama taught me that sometimes I will need to carry someone else’s cross- like Simon helped Jesus. The Lord knows how she carries my cross when I am unable to bear it by myself. She surrounded me with people in Americus who love Christ and love me. Mama does not carry her cross alone because she has my dad, Sam Powers, right there with her-for her and for all the adventures! Fifteen years ago, when she became part of a research program at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, my dad was able to donate his kidney to her. Because of his gift, I celebrate both my dad and my mom on Mother’s Day. These two are quite the devoted pair- two for the road, in fact. Oops- I forgot to tell you that this Mother Goose, being the diva that she is, loves to sing her favorite 60s tune to us every chance she gets. It's Jana and Sam's song written by Henri Mancini. Two for the Road If you're feeling fancy free. Come wander through the world with me. And any place we chance to be, Will be a rendezvous. Two for the road, We'll travel through the years, Collecting precious memories Selecting souvenirs And living life the way we please. Thank you, Mama, for modeling God’s love to me- even when you do not realize it and especially when you don't feel like it. Your love for your family is a love from God- one that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Happy Mother’s Day, Mama! You are loved. #honklikeyoumeanit #itsallaboutthehonk
1 Comment
Holli
5/9/2020 09:15:59 am
❤️❤️❤️
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JoAnna Arnold
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