She grew up on a farm in Kentucky, one of seven and a pastor’s daughter. Like her mother, she read (almost) everything she found. She also taught others to read, traveled the world with her family, and somehow passed on her love of books to her son.
She, too, grew up on a farm, but her farm was in Nebraska and her heritage was strongly Dutch. From the handful of books her family owned, she cherished the book of poems. She dreamed of being a nurse, a teacher or even a missionary. Maybe that had something to do with how she raised her daughter.
She grew up the daughter of a sailor, moving often. She came to love reading, especially one little book about a girl in Mexico. She worked hard to learn Spanish and dreamed of starting a school in Latin America. That’s why she went to Mexico for college.
She was “old” in her village in Mexico, at least as the college girls saw her. Yet she possessed two things they yearned for: care and wisdom. These she gave with love, the kind of love she’d learned about from one Book in particular.
She grew up in Mexico, the daughter of a pastor. Then she married a Guatemalan and moved to Guatemala. They started a Christian school. She treasured the words of hymns and became known for her jokes and her stories.
She grew up in Guatemala where she attended a Christian school. She became a missionary to her own people. Though she never had children of her own, she became like a spiritual mother to many, including the missionary kids. She is still busy sharing God’s Story.
She grew up the daughter of a librarian, raised on books and good grammar. While she came to realize that she wasn’t a writer herself, she continued to savor stories and could appreciate a good author when she found one. She also set about encouraging aspiring authors by providing a venue for them to connect to “real” writers.
She was born in Guatemala, the daughter of a bookworm and a teacher, with Dutch blood in her veins and dreams of being a writer in her heart. Maybe that’s why she listened well when she met the author with her story of WWII Dutch heroism.
Each of these women has had a “storyful” life, a life defined by not only the love of reading, writing and telling stories but also the love of the Author of Time, Jesus. This is the warp and woof of our lives that binds us together.
Our lives are woven together like a Guatemalan tapestry. Little details stand our like brightly colored strands. My life would certainly look different without even one of these threads! My mother’s life would also look different.
On this day, I thank God for each one of these women whose lives are woven together with mine, and I would like to honor them. Most of all, I’m grateful for and love my mother. It’s through her that many of these women’s lives are intertwined with mine.
Kristen Hardin Author 