Holy Hilarity: Courtesy of Eleanor
The Power of the Pill
My mother, Eleanor had her own version of the Bible and her favorite scripture for a successful marriage was from the Book of Eleanor, Chapter one verse one…..I share this nuptial nugget in my latest book ,“Sweet Tea Secrets from the Deep-Fried South.”
Take care of your husband for every headache you have there is a woman out there with an aspirin in her purse.
Fight the Anger
Momma also had a knack for putting a hilarious spin on Bible verses, and her take on Ephesians 4:26 was no exception. She translated it in a way that would make you chuckle: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath… or your comfy pillow will turn into a lumpy battlefield!”
According to Momma’s interpretation, going to bed angry was simply unacceptable. Instead, she proposed an unconventional solution: staying up all night, engaging in an epic pillow fight to settle your differences. With feathers flying and laughter echoing through the room, you’d fight off sleep, exhaustion, and even the temptation to smother each other with pillows until every ounce of anger had dissipated.
Find the Funny…Until the Very End
Regardless of the circumstances, I can still hear my mother’s wise words, “If you want to have a good life, try to find humor in all situations.” She managed to apply this belief to all stages of her life..in marriage and with children.
The Frank Sinatra classic song, My Way fills my mind when I think of this last story. I knew that the end was near for my momma to depart this life and I wanted to make sure she was ready for life with the Lord. But how to ask this all-important eternal question?
We had had so many fun times together. Momma’s favorite pastime was shopping and her closet was a testimony to her passion for looking great…from the top of her weekly hair appointment to the tip of her pained toenails, she was a Diva and I loved it. In fact, Momma actually made history at Roper Hospital. She was the only woman at the time to have her hair done in ICU … minus the hairspray. (Oxygen and hairspray don’t play well together.)
Taking a deep breath, I mustered the courage to approach the subject. I reached for her hand, trying to convey both the gravity of the situation and a hint of lightheartedness, and asked, “Momma, are you ready to go?”
She looked at me with a straight face, her eyes wide, and responded, “Are we going to Dillards?”
In the end, it wasn’t about the clothes or the accessories; it was about the bond between a mother and her child, forged through shared laughter and a mutual love for the fabulous. And as Frank Sinatra’s voice echoed in my mind, I knew deep in my heart that no matter how my momma prepared to meet the Lord, she would always do it in style, with a twinkle in her eye and a shopping bag in hand
Jane Jenkins Herlong is a multi-talented Southern belle who can make you laugh, sing, and even teach you a thing or two.
She’s a Sirius XM Humorist, member of the Speaker Hall of Fame, an international best-selling author and professional singer. She’s got the literary and vocal chops to keep you entertained!
Hey, grab a copy of her newest book in Cracker Barrel nationwide!
