When I Am an Old Woman I shall Wear Purple

Tribute to my Mom

This is my Mama. We recently celebrated her 80th birthday with all the family! It was a fun day as we gathered the Saturday after Thanksgiving to not only celebrate all that we are thankful for, but to celebrate my mom, Billie Lou Cantwell.

I am so proud of her! She is a published author and has taught writing classes for most of my adult life! She has a poem published in the book "When I am an Old Woman, I shall Wear Purple." She is the most inspirational person I know-always convincing my sisters and I that we could be anything we want to be, we can accomplish anything we want to accomplish. She makes us believe the impossible!

As a tribute, I wrote a poem for her on her birthday. It is written in the form that she used to write poems for each of her grandchildren. Thank you for indulging me by reading the tribute. I hope that by my sharing her story, you will be encouraged, inspired, and motivated to dream big, pursue your dreams, and BELIEVE that you can be anything you want to be and you can do anything you want to do!

Billie Lou

November 25, 2016

Seeker of wisdom

Giver of understanding

A quiet heroin

She listens with discernment

Slow to speak

Weighing all the sides of an equation

Before offering her verdict, the answer to life’s difficult questions

The daughter of her father, Bo

    Respected by many

            Integrity and dignity are her clothing

The daughter of her mother, Helen

    Serving every stranger who finds his way to her door

            Strong in principal

                        Knowing what is right

                                    Defending the underdog

A magnet for every child and living creature which seeks the comfort of home

The sweet nectar to every seeker who desires truth

She loves without judgment

Is quick to help, to serve,

Slow to anger and worry

Long on imagination and creativity

Rich in revealing a solution to a problem

Her greatest pleasure is to express her thoughts through the written word, to know the answer, to explain the riddle, to tell the story. She makes her mark on this world because she loves and loves well.  She has carefully woven a legacy, written on the hearts of her daughters, and they rise up and call her blessed.