My Greatest Blessings Call me Mom
Every morning I drink my coffee (or tea, if Ian brews it) from a mug that’s labelled “My Greatest Blessings Call me Mom.” I picked this mug up maybe 20 years ago in Marshalls – a bargain basement purchase that spoke to my soul.
The older I get (and that’s pretty old!), the more I realize the truth of that statement. Though certainly not children any more in the common sense of the word, our sons are in their fifties and one in his sixties. So, Ian and I have known them for a very long time, and they’ve blessed our lives with their beauty of their lives—their successes, the things they’ve learned, the grandchildren they’ve given us, and the companionship they constantly all provide. However, I have one more great blessing and that’s Holy Spirit Church.
We first came here when we moved to Houston from New Jersey in 1977. It was not an easy move, leaving my father, sister and all the family. It was just Ian and me, plus Bill, Frank & Tom, all teenagers. Completely by chance we came to Holy Spirit, seeing a sign on Memorial Drive, “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You.” At the time, I was not a happy camper, missing my family, my old friends, my old school, etc. That first Sunday, I was greeted by Father Hubert Palmer and ended up telling him how unhappy I was with my new situation. He listened to all I had to say and replied “You can be happy – become an Episcopalian. Well, you know the rest – I did become an Episcopalian, and all the rest came to pass.
Our church is a haven of welcome, a place to be with Our Lord, and not only on Sunday, but whenever we need to be here. We have wonderful ministries for parishioners to join. We have the opportunity not only to worship our Lord through the sacraments, but to enjoy each other’s company in fellowship and fun. We’ve been blessed by wonderfully caring priests, by our helpful office staff, and by our fellow parishioners who always take the time to meet and greet and lend support, comfort, and friendship.
So, I’ll expand my morning coffee mug collection, and the one I’ll use tomorrow is the one that says, “Holy Spirit Episcopal Church.”
Elizabeth Bremner
Senior Warden