Being the youngest, I waited to be last to give Mother her card.  I wanted her to be able to take her time reading and looking at mine. 

Daddy would take us children, Martha, Julia, Johnny, and me, Betty Sue, to the local Martin Book Store located on downtown Kilgore Street.  Each of us was allowed to take our time and search for the perfect card for my mother for her special day, Mother’s Day.

I remember one special card I picked out on this day.  I can see it in my mind’s eye as if I had just purchased it yesterday.  I think I was about six years old, and one card stood out among all the others on the racks.

It was a picture of a beautiful china cabinet. That first page had sections of a clear cellophane-type paper so I could see thru to the picture of the dishes.  Pink-colored flowers decorated the tiny cups, plates, and a teapot that appeared to be sitting on the shelves of the cabinet.

After all the selections had been made, Daddy paid for the cards. We loaded back into our car and made our way to the old Longview highway, arriving home with our treasure trove of cards.

The next morning, Mother’s Day, we each handed our card to our mother.

Being the youngest, I waited to be last to give Mother the card I had chosen for her.  I wanted her to be able to take her time reading and looking at mine – not rushing through the cards to get to the next child’s gift.

Mother did take her time to read this special Mother’s Day card to herself and seemed to have touched the china cabinet that appeared on the card, with her fingers.

This card reminded me of Mother’s china cabinet.

Mother kept her good dishes in the china cabinet.  The beautiful china cabinet was special as it came from her aunt, our great-aunt, Miss Gillie Patterson who lived in the Salem community near Troup, Texas.

Aunt Gillie had some walnut trees cut on her property, and the logs were taken to a mill in Jacksonville.  A local carpenter used them to make the china cabinet, as well as a formal dining table with chairs to match.

I placed this  Mother’s Day card inside the china cabinet for safekeeping.  I loved the card and I loved the china cabinet.  I have never forgotten this special day that I gave my mother for Mother’s day, the perfect card….as I was just thinking.