I don’t know much…

But this much I do know… I am just a sneaky as my Mom who raised me 😊 She definitely cringed when I even mentioned that I may do a “Mother’s Day” post about her, that’s just who she is. She encourages me in my writing, so it’s not that she doesn’t want me to write, she really just doesn’t like the spotlight on her. Although in reality, it all points to our Heavenly Father, so I chose to go ahead with it ☺️

Side Note: If you don’t know my family, my mom’s grandmother name is Swing, sometimes Swingie when her grand-littles get excited. This name was given to her because she loves swinging all the littles on the porch swing.

I could write about a lot of things – values, life lessons, adventures, beautiful oops situations, and so on. Instead, I started thinking of all the Mommy-Swingie-isms that my brother and I, and her three grand-littles know as her trademark phrases, and I’d like to share some with you:

“Christ is Risen! Risen INDEED!”
- My brother and I were greeted every morning with, “Christ is Risen.” To which we were to respond, “He is risen INDEED!” That obviously made a huge impression on my heart- hint, hint: Indeed 😊
“Truth in BIG and little!”
- Absolute truth, no ifs, ands, or buts. No such thing as 1/2 truths! Her prayer was always that, if we weren’t telling the truth, we would be caught and held accountable!
“We are never lost, just not in the right place or going in the right direction, we are on a ADVENTURE! We will get where we need to go!”
- I am convinced that between my brother attending school in Greensboro, and us both having doctors in Chapel Hill/Durham area, this was the only way to survive!!! No GPS, No cell phones, our family are map challenged anyway- and so she survived on making wrong turns right 😊 And the result is now she can pretty much navigate Gboro, Durham, and Chapel Hill like she built the place! Granted we still do take “wrong turns,” but usually we have backseat drivers in the car 😂
“Let’s do it!”
- Now this one became enthusiastic in an awesome way when grand-littles came along. She takes after her daddy, my paw-paw, when it comes to “what the heck, we have this moment” attitude. So when my niece one day said, “Let’s do it, Swingie!” that’s what she says when its come time to have one of those moment memories- whether it’s getting a new piece of fun clothing, or happy shoes, or bird feeder, or new game, or toy, or nails done, or big ole’ treat. It’s always a memory that will stick forever!
“Take Jesus, forget me!”
- Bottom line, ask HIM to remind you of the Truth that HE shared by her being in your presence, and ask HIM to take away the rest!
“Leave an apron string tied loosely.”
- This one is from her daddy, my paw-paw. And it is an old saying, that was said with the meaning of “loosening control.” Which is basically what I think my paw-paw meant, but on a larger scale, I believe he also meant, your heart strings. Some of them over time become thread bare because of constant wear and tear, then it’s time to distance and allow rest, and reflect on the area that is worn. Whether it’s relationships, habits, lifestyles, etc.
“Jesus is not just a picture on a Sunday School Wall.”
- This one has also become more popular with her grand-littles 😊 We tend to repeat it when they have spent the night with us and we are taking them home. It’s just become one of our things ☺️ I love these phrases, because they are absolute truth, and they stick, and they encourage questions to be asked along the way.
“Never have too many books on top of your Bible.”
- Not Literally. Although she doesn’t really like anything on top of her Bible on a normal basis. What she means by this is, don’t be reading SO many books that you neglect to be reading your Bible and spending time with Jesus everyday. And she will tell you, she struggles with finding this balance! Me too!
“It’s about the one in the bed/the one in crisis!”
- When there is someone sick, in need of care, in need of prayer, in need of silent sitting and being with them, when there is someone in the midst of a crisis, it’s about what THEY need, not what will make you feel better, or what you want or need for them. Listen to what is said and not said!
“I’m scum without Jesus.”
- “Sinner in need of a Savior,” another way she says it. 😊
“Something needs to be easy.”
- When you have known a life of chronic illness, or times of crisis, you know when something is a little lighter than normal, or someone who knows these “pits” gives you a pass for something easy, you go into shock and want to burst into tears and say, “don’t be nice to me!” Well, she knows these pits, and she knows how to hand out passes for something to be easy.
“I love you too much to argue. I love you too much to allow you to yell or scream.”
- One of my favorites! Because her and I share these pet peeves. Arguing, yelling, and screaming get you NO WHERE. (Unless you are an infant.) Growing up the in our house was yelling/screaming = bedroom door gone! And argue, well you would have to argue with yourself, and we all know that won’t get you anywhere.
“I don’t know much, but this much I do know…” (credit to A Week Away Movie)
- Let me just say, she has a LOT of knowledge. She is self taught, researcher, life-long learner, reader, advocate, feared by school administration because she is armored with research, data, advocates and a 1980s tape recorder… Shazam! “Stay-at-Home-Mom” BARELY! She busted her booty everyday!
“There’s a thread of humor in everything.” (credit to Michael Podesta)
- Laughter when she should be somber. Laughter when she is supposed to laugh. What can I say, she did a comedy skit for her talent in high school! She could so easily have her own comedy tour! That’s my Mom!
“Life is too short to wear boring clothes!”
- Sums her up well. When all your littles have already asked you if they can have some of your jewelry when you die, I call that a life of remarkable color and Living Upward, Indeed!