Monday's Thoughts On Sunday's Sermon

Sunday May 9th
Mother's Day

What do you think of when you think about Mother's Day?
I think of Grafton, West Virginia. Grafton was a main juncture for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. When we would come to West Virginia to visit grandparents we would travel by train from Miamisburg, Ohio to Grafton, West Virginia. My grandparents would pick us up in Grafton and take us on to Morgantown. I remember how big the trains were and how large the station was. I was in Grafton several years ago and they have torn down the station and pulled up the tracks.

We moved to West Virginia when I was nine years old. I think of Grafton as the place where our high school basketball team played Grafton in a hotly contested game. The Morgantown High School teams and the Grafton High School teams had a serious rivalry and especially in football and basketball. I was a basketball player. In the game something happened that caused a fight. Both benches emptied the punches were thrown. I remember facing off against a kid from Grafton and the two of us decided we would not get into the fight and we walked off the floor and he took me into his team's locker room and we visited until order was restored. I remember how it took the police to get us out of Grafton. I think we won the game and I think there was some question about how we won it.

When I think of Mother's Day I think of Grafton, West Virginia because that is the town that began the celebration of Mother's Day. After the Civil War and in a state that was divided in its loyalties between the North and South there were, literally, brothers who fought against brothers.

Anna Jarvis worked through a measles epidemic to help wounded and sick soldiers. After the war Anna and her daughter thought it would be helpful for the healing of the nation to find a Sunday to celebrate "Mother's Love". The first church where that happened was Andrews Methodist Church. When I think of Grafton, West Virginia I think of Mother's Day.

What are your memories and thoughts related to Mother's Day? There is some sadness related to this for me. My mother died the October before we came to Fort Collins. This is the only congregation I have served she had not met and this is the only church I served she had not seen. She would have loved to meet the people here.

What are your memories and thoughts? Are they sad thoughts? Hard memories?

If you are willing to pass on to me your ideas write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with other who read the blog click on the box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster