Days of Old
One of the things I love most about my mom is she’s always been a kid at heart. By today’s standards, she was just a kid herself when she gave birth to my brother at 21. Six years later, my two sisters and I had come to roost in the family nest.
I marvel at how she “did it”: four kids by the age of 28! (My younger sister, “#4,” was born on her birthday.) I think it’s because that wonder-filled energy of youth was on her side. We were Sailors on the open sea with the wind in our sails. (A pun is intended here, because our last name was Sailor.)
Mom was still growing up a little, and she was right there with us. It was so much fun!
Fast Forward
Mom is 83 now, and more fun than ever. On a recent visit, while she was rehabbing from a knee replacement and stuck on the couch, I was tickled by a story she shared from her 7th grade. It was new to me, which made it extra special. It resonated in my heart, and after reflecting, I understood why.
As Mom spoke, I felt God drawing us closer, whispering a lesson about eternal life through her words. That’s what God does—He meets us where we’re at.
Mom’s Story, in a Nutshell (her words)
“My white Esterbrook pen with a red spot on top was a fountain pen, that needed to be filled with ink. It had a broad tip and I could write beautiful cursive with it! I looked at it for many months at Emmons Stationary store and took many babysitting jobs at 35 to 50 cents an hour to save for its purchase. I also got 50 cents a week allowance, but it was a challenge to be able to finally buy it!
“Marie Wermersen stole it from me and buried it in her garden! She was always jealous of me, and this was meant to hurt me. It did and I never got over it! She died a couple years ago of Alzheimer’s, and I know she didn’t remember this hateful act!!
“I think it cost me $15.00 which was a lot! I was in the 7th grade at this time!
“I tried to find another one several years ago, but found a similar one, which I have now. It needs a new broad tip, but I have an ink filler for it. I must get it out and write with it again! It will never replace my perfect Esterbrook though!”
Breaking it Down
Mom’s story about her Esterbrook fountain pen was God’s way of bringing us together in that moment, revealing a glimpse of eternal life. Mom has always shared my love for writing, and this was God’s nod to us both. He knows us all too well.
Your eyes saw me unformed; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be.
— Psalm 139:16
The Goal
Mom wanted that pen with fierce determination. She set her sights on it and never lost focus, thinking about it around the clock and imagining the beautiful writing she could create with it.
The Pleasure
The day arrived when Mom had saved enough in her jar to buy the pen. By my calculation, she put in at least 30 hours of babysitting and chores. And she was only 12!
She marched to Emmons Stationery, handed over her savings, and felt like she could fly—the fountain pen was hers! Back in her bedroom, she produced the most beautiful writing: poems, letters, school essays. Her teacher praised her lovely cursive, and though some classmates might’ve thought, “What a brown-noser!” Mom knew this pen was everything she’d hoped for and more.
The Pain
Then, suddenly, it was gone. Nowhere to be found. Had she misplaced it, or had someone borrowed—or worse, stolen—it? Mom was devastated. She retraced her steps, needing answers. Then she heard whispers from others: it wasn’t just stolen—it was buried! Irretrievable. The worst had happened. Recovery was impossible.
The Return
But it wasn’t truly gone. Mom still possessed it in the garden of her memory—far better than any earthly treasure! What kind of pen lasts 70 years without wearing out? This one! No burial can erase its virtues, which live on with every telling of this story. Just as the pen endures in Mom’s heart, God’s Word endures forever, untouched by time or loss, guiding us to treasures in heaven.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
— Matthew 6:19-20
