Letters of a Loving Father
Virginia Allen Mcjimpsey
Mother to Vashon, Valdez and Vastyne
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers for your daily sacrifice and labors of love.
This celebration of mothers is always bittersweet for me. On the one hand I was blessed with the best childhood having Jennie Rosemond Allen as grandmother, two great aunts (Mattie Jamison and Bessie Allen), and Mama who were all a part of my matriarchal village. The bittersweet part is that they all have finished their course, having gracefully run their race in life.
I stand on the foundation of their loving care, and I remain eternally grateful for all of their life lessons that have helped me along my journey. I remember my first school play, Peter Rabbit. I feared performing in front of the whole school and not knowing my lines. My mother was there to help me learn each one. I am so thankful for her support, teaching me that I could accomplish much in life if I didn't let fear stand in my way.
Even today her encouragement stands the test of time in my mind. Whenever I decide to take on a new project, I can hear her words from when I was 10, “Isaac it's more than a notion.” That inspires me to take action and plan out every step towards reaching my goals.
I am thankful for all the things she gave me, especially her presence. She didn’t miss basketball or football games. She was there for cub scouts as a den leader. She was even there as my teacher in the 2nd or 3rd grade. Mama didn’t miss a beat raising Vashon, Ryan and me.
I still eat oatmeal in the morning after I read the scriptures, as she taught me to do. Her dedication as a wife, an educator and mother for me were unparalleled. She also cultivated my desire to read and write, and I believe writing letters is a gift she gave me as part of her legacy.
One of the first letters I recall writing was a letter I wrote to my parents, thanking them for taking me and my siblings on a summer vacation. The question came to me one day: When did the thought of writing letters enter my mind?
Then it hit me!
The first love letter I ever received…
The letter that would shape the rest of my life…
It came to me when I was 11 or 12 years old. It came from none other than my lovely mother.
She wrote me the most fascinating and loving letter that would set the foundation for the man I would become. The gentle words of encouragement from Virginia Allen Mcjimpsey (or as my dad affectionately called her, Jean) made a lasting imprint on my heart and mind.
Decades later I can still remember the words of her letter letting me know how much she cared about me. The impactful words of this love letter affirmed my purpose in life to know the love of our Creator. The foundation of this letter impressed upon me that life is more meaningful when we connect with the people in our lives and serve them passionately.
It was not just a letter to be read and quickly tossed away. I held it close to my heart then...and still cherish her words today. It was a letter that would live on in my soul as only a parent's loving, affirming and insightful words can.
Where would my life be without my mother's letter?
My intentional, loving mother knew the power of her words to speak identity that would propel me into a life lived on purpose. She took the time to write a deeply personal and lifegiving letter that helped set me on the right paths in life.
Where would I be without my mother's letter?
On this Mother's Day I honor my mother and all mothers for the amazing ways their presence...their words impact destiny's for generations to come. That's precisely what my mother's presence and letter has done for me...for us. Her letter writing legacy lives on through me as I pen letters to my own children in Letters of a Loving Father and encourage parents everywhere to do the same.
Where would they be without our loving letters?
I thank my amazing mother for her inspiration, helping to ensure that my children won't have to go without. “I invite you to do the same--write your own loving letters.”
Happy Mother's Day