Dear Reader:

Yesterday we were supposed to get some rain but instead we got wind…lots and lots of wind. Since we really needed the rain…I had to get out and water the garden… thus the “wet” look on the title photo. In reality the wind was so gusty all day, especially in the afternoon, that it dried everything up almost immediately.

Still…when I took the photos of the garden soon after watering…I found myself thinking and silently whispering “Glory Be…Glory Be!” (Give thanks to God who can create the exquisite beauty of all kinds of flowers for us mere mortals to enjoy while on our short stay here on earth.)

It was Dora, our housekeeper when growing up (another “mama” to me) who implanted the phrase “Glory Be” forever in my memory. Of course when she said it ….the phrase normally followed “Heaven Help” and then “Glory Be.”

Poor Dora…she had her hands filled with us…except David who was always the sweetest child but Ben and I definitely had our moments.

On the side of the duplex we lived on (while renting out the other side) at some point there had been a garage enclosed to make our den. It was where we watched our black and white television and was basically the comfortable family room…* I remember watching the Hardy Boys on Disney each Sunday night and Ed Sullivan.

Some time along the way we kids realized we could crawl through a second story bedroom window to get out on the flat roof over the enclosed garage/den and that was thrilling to us! Dora was getting on up in age and couldn’t hear too well…so we were safe running across the top. David was too scared to go on the roof but mainly he was smart enough to obey mother’s command that she had better never find us up there.

One day, unfortunately, mother wasn’t feeling well and came home early from work. Busted! She saw Ben and me running across the top of the garage. And even with one hand trying to steer…she still managed to press loudly on the horn! I panicked and ran back inside the bedroom window but Ben decided to make the great escape and jumped off the roof thinking he would “run away.”

David was hiding in a bush (as our look-out) and pointing to mother’s car but… too little too late. I was running down the steps as Dora was shouting “What ya young’uns up to now?” I shook my head innocently and followed Dora out the door.

Dora got to Ben first…he was sprawled on the ground holding his ankle yelping in pain. “Heaven help, heaven help” she yelled as mama came ’round the house…Ben  just might have ‘broke’ his foot Miz Lucille!” 

Mother was furious and grabbed Ben’s foot…immediately announcing that it was not broken…probably just sprained. You could tell from her voice that he was lucky it wasn’t his neck. Dora, upon hearing the verdict, sighed and called out in supplication… “Glory Be”  “Glory Be”…’Thank ya Lord.”

Loudly Dora started singing the Gloria Patri….“Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost…As it was in the beginning, is now and every shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.”

Mother was helping Ben limp back in the house while announcing that ‘his world was about to end’ because he couldn’t watch television or play after school for two weeks. (And to my dashed hopes…she added…”And that goes for you too young lady.”) Mom didn’t even include David…*She knew her children well.

Isn’t it funny how a phrase that isn’t used much any more can take us back in time so quickly and vividly? As I finished watering my garden and walked past each new bloom or pretty spot I heard myself calling out” Glory Be” to you and to you and to you. (And to you dear Dora! 🙂

So until tomorrow…Take time and look for all the “Glory Be” gifts we have been given in this world each and every day.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

“Glory Be!“…Has it really been nine years ago to the day when I became a grandmother…a “Boo Boo?”  Almost a decade ago with four more “adorables” added to the bunch. A few “Heaven Help” moments but seriously many more “Glory Be” sentiments. Thank you God for allowing me to live to see all of this…and who knows what the future still might bring?