Posted on July 26, 2012 - by Regina
Mrs. Merrick, Margaret, Mom-In-Law, Mee-Maw
Someone who has made an impact on me. Sounds like an easy-enough task, doesn’t it?
NOT!
My life has been, and continues to be, filled with people who made a difference to me. Today, however, I find myself going back to my childhood to someone who has continued to make a difference in my life.
My mother-in-law.
Yes, I said childhood. You see, Margaret Ellen Stroube Merrick and her husband, James Huell Merrick were my own parents’ Sunday School teachers, when they were in high school. They were that young couple with a cute little red-haired baby, and later a sweet little dark-haired baby, that attended my parents’ wedding. In fact, with two toddlers in tow, they were a little late for the wedding, so they delayed the start until they could get there.
The next year, about the time I was born, they had a third little boy who became one of my classmates. As I grew into little-girlhood, their oldest son was my ideal for what an older brother would be like. He never ignored me, never made fun or pushed me to the side. Instead, he laughed with me and played with us little kids. The middle son? Well, he was nice, too. The younger was my first boyfriend, at age five. It ended there, as well.
I always looked to Margaret as a fun, happy person who loved me, and was the mother of one of my classmates. She went back to school and earned her teaching degree, and always said that she would teach even if they didn’t pay her. When I was in third grade, she was my Sunday School teacher, and I will never forget that year. She had us memorize scripture, visit the sick, and learn more about a walk with God that we didn’t even realize we were learning at the time.
In sixth grade, my dream came true. Margaret, or Mrs. Merrick, then, became my homeroom teacher! I can honestly say that she is one of two or three teachers that I still look to as my all-time-favorites. She made learning fun – and read us a Bible story every day. Not the BIBLE, mind you, but a Bible STORY. She was sneaky like that.
When I was a young teen, she began taking a group of us to visit a nursing home on a regular basis. She showed us how to show compassion to the elderly by simply being there with our youthful countenance and listening as they told us stories and tried to make US laugh.
About that time, I started noticing that middle son of hers. When Todd and I started dating, I was no longer one of her students, so I had to learn to call her “Margaret” again. Would you believe I spent the first two years of our dating life not calling her anything? It just felt funny.
Now, nearly thirty years later, I call her Mee-Maw, because she became one of two wonderful grandmothers to my amazing daughters. She prays for us all, attends sporting events and arts events for her seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, works with children in her church, and visits the sick and those in the nursing home.
Yes, she made an impact on me from a very early age. So when I think of Hebrews 12:1-3, I think of my friend, my teacher, my mentor, and my mother-in-law.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Don’t you just love that “great cloud of witnesses?” I know I do!
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July 26, 2012
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Dawn Ford said:
I was discussing the great cloud of witnesses with my youngest son the other day. It’s a scripture that inspires me every time.
What a great tribute. How funny, though, that you couldn’t call her anything for the first two years of your dating relationship.
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July 26, 2012
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Regina Merrick said:
Oh, I had her as a teacher for social studies in 5th grade – I didn’t call her anything THAT year because I’d called her “Margaret” all my life! LOL
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July 26, 2012
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Brenda Anderson said:
Oh, what an amazing woman! I love how she encouraged service right alongside Bible teaching. All churches should do that. And now to be blessed with her as mother-in-law? What a blessing!
(When you mentioned that *nice* middle son, I had a feeling he’d become a little more than nice.
)
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July 26, 2012
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Kav said:
LOL — I didn’t figue out the love story like Brenda did. I was reading all about Margaret but wondering which son did Regina marry??? Girl, you have a romance novel right there — you do realise that, don’t you??????
How blessed you are to have Margaret in your life from day one!
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July 26, 2012
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Melanie Cox said:
She is truly a wonderful woman. I have never know anyone that doesn’t love her completely. I was in class with the “oldest” son and I know for a fact that he inherited these same wonderful traits from both his parents. It was a blessing to grow up with Tim. Tim was in my class, Todd was in Mollie’s, and Trent was in Kevin’s–so we all know about the wonderful Merrick family !!!!!
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July 26, 2012
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Regina said:
Thanks for stopping by, Melanie! I’m hoping to see your brother at our 30-year class reunion in about a month!
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July 26, 2012
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Tina said:
That middle son is one lucky guy – first to have a mom like you’ve described, and then to marry a woman so much like the gal that married dear ol’ dad! And then to top it off, he get two beautiful and talented daughters. A “ladies man” if there ever was one!
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July 26, 2012
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Stacy said:
Regina, what a wonderful relationship you’ve had with Mee-Maw! My story is similar to yours in some ways – met the younger brother (of 3) when we were 12. We were best friends all through high school. Once I graduated from college I re-met the middle brother. We’ve been married 30 years.
I’ve been so blessed with my wonderful mother-in-law, too, but am grieving the loss of her cheerful, loving disposition as she succumbs to Alzheimer’s (as my mom did last year).
But decades of memories will always be with us, to remind us how blessed we are, right? Thanks for sharing – I was blessed by it!
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July 26, 2012
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Marianne said:
Wow..these past posts have brought a warm feeling to my heart. Thanks for sharing.
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July 28, 2012
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Shari Barr said:
What a blessing to have such a wonderful mother-in-law who knew and loved you from day one. Thanks for sharing, Regina.