Church

Mom is settling in nicely at The Wellstone House. I love that she is close by. I love that I am in control of her doctor appointments. She told her primary care doctor the other day, once again, "I'm so glad God gave me Donna. What would I do without her!"

Because Mom enjoyed going to church every Sunday during the 5-1/2 months she lived in Charlestown, I had hoped to find a way to get her to church now that she is living in Raymond. She doesn't like my church because we don't sing the old, traditional 4-part harmony hymns; and the music is too loud. So we visited the Raymond Methodist Church this past Sunday. I love our church, Manchester Christian Church, and yet it was fun to visit an old traditional Methodist Church with the floor-to-ceiling pipe organ, the wooden pews with the velvet covered seat pads and the song numbers posted on the display board.

As we sat listening to the organ music before the service began, my thoughts drifted to my earliest church memory--attending the Claremont Methodist Church when I was four. I have never forgotten the big maroon velvet armchair I sat in for a pre-school Sunday school class where a nice lady introduced the three or four of us to the idea of God's love. I'm not sure, but I think they had used the choir room as a make-shift nursery classroom. Imagine Lily Tomlin as Edith Ann in the big rocking chair! I still remember caressing the soft texture as I sat there and believed God lived in that church!

Mom felt at home. "I've gone to the Methodist Church since I was a little girl. I'm so happy to be here and to sing the old songs," she said to the minister. Much to my surprise, there were three people there who Mom knew from the nine years of going to the Raymond Senior Center. They flocked to her with warm greetings. Mom had no idea who they were.

When we left, I tried to jog her memory of downtown Raymond by driving past the senior center, pointing out the bank, the common, the luncheonette where she used to order a grilled cheese or a plain hot dog. "Do you remember this, Mom?"

"No, I really don't remember going to the senior center, Donna."

A nice lady who lives close to The Wellstone House offered to give Mom rides to church. Mission accomplished! Thank you God!




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Location:Gile Rd,Nottingham,United States