This is my mom, Margaret Payton House in Hong Kong for Manon's birth, December 2002. 
Here I am with my mom in May 09. 
My mom in OKC with us having a good time with the grandchildren. Another sad thing we dealt with in the U.S. was my mother's failing health and her death only 5 weeks after we returned to Asia. When we first arrived in the states she was doing great. She had been living with my Aunt Mary and Uncle Gary but was ready to be on her own again. Monty and I were able to help her transition to an apartment in the Baptist Village in Okmulgee. It seemed like a great set up for her. She was getting more involved in the community and seemed to be doing better than she had in years. But, she suffered a heart attack and after that it seemed she lost all will to live. I think Uncle Gary's cancer greatly affected her as well. I was glad to have been home during this season to help out however I could but it was a great time of growth for me.
When I think about my mom the adjectives that come to mind in describing her are gentle, kind, patient, understanding, slow to anger – actually I cannot ever remember seeing her angry, compassionate, and beautiful.
In Grandfield, where I grew up with my dad and his parents, I would brag to all the kids in town about how beautiful my mom was. I knew she was without a doubt the most beautiful woman I had ever seen if not in the world. Once she was coming to Grandfield to pick me up after school and take me to Six Flags for the weekend. When she showed up in Grandfield I had gathered all of my girl friends together to meet her. I wanted them to see that I was not exaggerating – that I did indeed have a mom and that she was so beautiful.
When I first looked at her in the casket I thought I was at the wrong funeral. It took me a moment to realize it was indeed my mom. I stood looking and thinking about what was wrong – other than death. I then realized her eyelashes were missing. I think I must have been at least 12 before I realized she wore false eyelashes. I never saw her without them so I just thought that was how God made her. I would run my fingers through my eyelashes and wonder why I did not have eye lashes like hers – little did I know then that I could with a little help from Maybeline. Although, the past couple of months she did not wear her eyelashes. I now realize it was a bigger sign to the overall decline in her physical and mental health. She loved make-up, hair styling products, lotions, perfumes etc. When I was helping her move into the apartment in Baptist Village I almost unpacked her beauty products in the kitchen cabinets and cooking utensils in the bathroom because she loved fixing her hair and face far more than fixing a meal.
If you knew my mom you knew how much she loved animals especially cats. I could not count the number of pets she has had in her life ranging from guinea pigs to squirrels and even alligators at one point! When she and her husband Charles moved several states they took with them 19 cats that they had accumulated in Louisiana and I am not sure how many dogs. My mom had so much compassion in her heart and you really saw it blossom when she was around animals. When my dad taught me to drive he encouraged me to never swerve to miss an animal but just hit it and we could deal with the damage to the car later (I think he did not think I was a cautious enough driver to swerve and not wreck). BUT When my mom was with me she would not only make me stop for a turtle crossing the street but she would get out and hold up traffic to make sure the turtle made it to safety if she did not decide to take it home as a pet in the meantime.
My oldest daughter, Manon who is 6, was delighted to get to know her “Nana House” as my children called,this past spring during our visit to the U.S. Manon loves animals – she always has since before she could talk she knew every animal sound imaginable. I thought maybe all kids were like this but have realized it is just a special love God has given her. She and my mom had many long conversations. Manon likes to hear any kind of animal story and my mom never got tired of reciting all the names of every cat she has owned and what their personality was like.
My mom did not get to spend great amounts of time with her grandchildren since we live half way around the world but she took the opportunities she had and I was always amazed at how well my kids responded to her. They loved her and loved for her to come for sleep overs – especially when she brought her cat Halston Yoda. Just this past May, she came to stay with us when we were in OKC for a few days and wanted to babysit, get up early with the kids so Monty and I could sleep in a bit and made breakfast and even cleaned up. This was when she was still wearing the eyelashes and just seemed like her normal self. This is the way I hope to always remember her. She also talked about how she was going to start saving her money and come visit us in China. She came oversees once to see us and I was utterly amazed that she did it. My mom did not have a strong desire for adventure but when she knew her first Grandbaby was on the way she was not going to miss it for anything.
My mom did have her share of problems – ongoing physical health issues, her struggle with depression and Alcoholism. I am so thankful for AA and the support they provided my mom. When I would be with her for school holidays she would always include me on the AA meetings. By the end of one summer I was practically facilitating the meetings and had the 12 steps and traditions memorized. Even my friend Shawna could recite them because if she was coming over to play or have a sleep over my mom made her attend AA meetings as well. I appreciate that my mom never gave up on her desire to live a sober life. Even though she slipped many times she got back up and kept trying. She was even able to sponsor a young lady who was newly sober. I was so proud of my mom for using the lessons she had learned to try to encourage someone just beginning down the road she had traveled for many long years.
My mom’s constant help, encourager and strength has been in her sister Mary. My mom loved Aunt Mary and Uncle Gary with all of her heart. Aunt Mary was always there for her – with out a doubt. She helped her pick up the pieces after broken marriages, a lost job, wrecked car or whatever. I am so thankful for everything Aunt Mary has done for my mom – she helped and provided for her in so many ways that I should have been doing as her daughter. She enabled Monty and I to follow the Lord to a far away place and begin a challenging work. I am grateful for her help and care. Uncle Gary was just like a big brother to my mom. He and Aunt Mary got married when my mom was only in 7th grade but my mom missed the wedding because she thought they were kidding when they told her that they were getting married the next day. This spring after finding out about Uncle Gary’s cancer my mom became very depressed and even had a heart attack. She loved Uncle Gary and seeing him become so weak and then die, I think, was more than my mom could handle.
Since moving back to Okmulgee a couple of years ago my mom reconnected with her best child-hood friend Glenda. They had such a good time together. My mom became involved in Glenda’s church and even sang with the praise team! The songs we had played earlier – “Sanctuary” and “How Great is our God” were two of her favorites. She came to OKC to visit us and brought the words to these two songs with her. She had written them out and said she could sing them to the children at bed time. That was a side I had never seen of my mom and am so thankful for the community at Three Rivers Church and how they really showed God’s love to my mom. Even, when she needed major dental work the church took up an offering and helped her get this need met. I know she loved this community of people so much and was thankful to be a part of their family.
God brought the image to my mind of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years and as Jesus passed by she reached out and touched the edge of His robe and was healed. As I began to process my mom's death, I could see her on the side of the road while the King of Kings was passing by and not wanting to cause a scene but to quietly touched his garment so she could be healed. Jesus knew her heart and faith and I believe He has healed her.
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