Mary Caroline Whitt Ratliff

When Momma was a little girl, some women asked her if she was "that little girl" and said things that would devastate her. It doesn't matter what they said, but Momma thought she was a little girl that wasn't good enough.

That little girl proved them wrong in every way that matters.

That little girl grew up to be an amazing woman who had compassion on those less fortunate -- not just empathy, but real, dirt-under-your-fingernails compassion. She showed her love with sweat, blisters, tire rubber, and sore muscles.

That little girl loved to give until there was nothing left to give. Not until it hurt -- she gave until there was nothing left, and then she would ask others to help too.

That little girl became a remarkable woman: a woman who loved God, fought for her family, and was filled with love. Her life was hard with many tribulations and heartache. Through it all, she sacrificed everything she had for those she loved.

Momma wrote dozens and dozens of journals. Most were destroyed when her house burned down in December. There are now just a few notebooks left, but those few are filled with precious writings of unfathomable Praise to God, Love for Jesus, Hope for Salvation, and Prayers.

This is one of those prayers:

Jesus, You know what it is like to be human, to experience hunger and sickness and weakness. Thank you for your Compassion, for using your power to feed, to heal, and to free us. No wonder the people flocked to You -- a mighty God who lifts the lowly. Lord, you dwell with the lowly, the poor, and the weak of this world. Help me do the same. Make me generous in the work of feeding and clothing and welcoming the needy, realizing that I am doing all of these things for You.

That prayer sums up Momma's life of helping others.

But for me, Cindi, David, Lacie, Sarah, and the family -- above all, she was our mother and Granni Mari. Poets and songwriters might point at a mother's love, but we lived it. Through every single day of life, no matter what, we knew without doubt that there was one person in this earthly world who loved us completely and unconditionally: Momma.

It was a love that cannot be described in words.

In triumph and heartache, she was literally right there for us all, either encouraging us or carrying us through the hardest days of life. I suppose Momma knew how much we would still need her when she's gone. Also in her journal:

Our life here is the beginning of the life hereafter. We must surrender to God, to walk forever with Him. Life is eternal and love is immortal and death is only a horizon. A horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.
It is normal to be sad after the death of a loved one. We need to deal with this kind of heartache. Pray for Guidance at these times as they are hard to handle. "God blesses those who mourn, for they shall be comforted". Thank you, God for your healing power of tears. "He will wipe away every tears from my eyes, no more death or mourning, or crying again."

Thank you, God, for turning "that little girl" into an incredible, fun, hard-working, loving, caring, smart, compassionate, generous, sweet, Godly woman who was our precious, precious mother and Granni Mari.

We always told Momma that we loved her "the most."

But she really did love us "the mostest," and she always will.