Cleda Amy Riddle Rodgers Venter
I saw online that there were “no famous birthdays” on June 20, 1913. Well, come again? There was at least one famous one! One extremely important to me. Cleda Amy Riddle – this lovely little baby girl in the beautiful frilly dress. I look closely and there she is, same eyes, same laugh, my mom. She went to heaven with most people knowing her as Amy Riddle Rodgers Venter. I think she wore all those names well. She knew and lived her priorities. I have in a trunk in the back bedroom, penciled pictures she drew as a young woman. I see her passion for art way back then. But she never gave herself time, money, or focus to play out that passion until well into her fifties or sixties. Why? For one thing she was too busy raising me—busy being wife, mother, cook, house keeper, seamstress, I could just keep adding on. Just ask my siblings. Thanks, mom, for not being too much of a “it’s my right to be myself” woman. I sure am glad for those years when you did get to express yourself in ways that showed us more about you, the writer, the painter, the “crochet-er”, the historian, even Miss Spirit of Springfield (or something like that). I’m glad you got to have your day. But as your firstborn, I doubt you ever had one that outdid ME. Well, okay, maybe so, however, I was number one, at least chronologically. One hundred and three years ago you came to this earth, and a little more than twenty two years ago you moved to Heaven, the first home you didn’t have to build or renovate. Hope you didn’t suggest putting in a new door or moving the window!
Sweet aroma 
Oneta, I am proud that I exercised my right to be a stay-at-home mom!
Thankful you were able to do that and saw the value in placing that high in your goals for life. I don’t know that I did the best, but I do think school teaching is fairly compatible with children of school age. However, I neglected my boys in such things as seeing that they learned sight words, spelling, memorizing math facts. I was fed up with school activities by the time I got home each evening. And then there were still the papers to grade…for the children of someone else. I did do a lot of going to soccer games and church activities which we could share. I’m glad of that.
Here is another beautiful post about family… And you write it so effortlessly. Warm regards. 🙂
Thank you, simpledimple. I was blessed with creative, interesting, loving, and ambitious people. I need to write about my mother over coming her drug addition (valium). It is a fantastic story. Gotta do that. If I do, I’ll visualize myself writing directly to you. You will love her story.
Wow! Sure, I will love to read her story. You tell your stories in such an interesting way that I get curious to know what unfolds next… You are very creative. An innate Story-teller!!! I am full of admiration for you Ma’am. 🙂
Thank you, sweet girl.
You’re welcome, Ma’am! 🙂
HA! Thanks for extolling not only your mom, but motherhood in general!
There is no greater ideal than the ideal of a loving mother. What did God say, “Can a mother forsake her child, – that is possible but I will never forsake you.” Something like that, in Isaiah. I don’t remember where exactly. . Anyway he held it up as the highest possible love except for his love to us. — I don’t like loose ends – so I looked it up, Isaiah 49:15.
Oneta, your reply made me laugh. I know so well that feeling, I have to know.
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Thanks so much for this post. Memories of my own wonderful ‘stay-at-home’ Mum left for me as her legacy of womanhood were rekindled. I struggled but am glad I too exercised my right to be at home (sadly not as much as my heart yearned) Beautiful reflection of life.
Thank you, Faye, for your comments. Some women do not have an option. But if they know God, they can be comforted in knowing he cares and he does help in our circumstances. Sometimes in the love of a comforting neighbor, a Godmother, or a blood relative who can help in emergency situations. It is double hard for some people, so I do not judge the situation. Just as I said above, I’m not sure I made the best choice in my own balance of home and career. My two Godly sons are a reward I am thankful for, but we had some advantages others do not have.