Charlotte and Jason

When I was a kid, we used to go to church. We lived in a small town of about 1300 people.  My mom’s friends would pick us up. We would go to church with them.  They were good people who cared about us.  Charlotte was an older woman in her 40’s back then.  She was married to a man named Jason. I remember them in the late 1970’s.  They had two grown sons and lived just out side the city limits.  Charlotte and Jason had a nice home, but it was nothing too fancy. They were plain working people.  Charlotte worked part time as a book keeper for an oil field service company.  Jason worked as a lead for the same company. He ended up buying that company several years later.  Charlotte and Jason’s house sat on two acres of land, with some surrounding fields and a pond just down from the house.  They had small live stock including chickens, goats, a few cows and the family dogs. They even planted a large garden every year. They planted okra, squash, onions, tomatoes and some times green beans or corn. They gave away most of what they grew.  If we came over and helped take care of the garden, they would share with our family too.  It was fun working in the dirt and helping water the plants.  Charlotte and Jason would travel during the summer to see their extended families. .  We also helped do the chores when they were away from home.  I remember having to tend to the animals. It was not too bad. But I hated gathering the eggs.  The swear those chickens were mean. Plus it was dark in the hen house; you could barely see what was under the chicken. I was nervous and scared to put my hand in the nest.  I did not want to get pecked.  Charlotte and Jason attended church regularly.  It was an important part of their lives and they felt it was important to share that with us.  In fact Charlotte is the one who told me about Jesus.  I could see him working through her.  Charlotte was also a mentor to my mom.  I remember playing in the yard while she talked with my mom about her troubles. My mom was a young bride who had her hands full trying to keep up with us six kids and a violent husband, who drank too much.  If anyone needed Jesus, it was probably my dad, not my mom. I was glad my dad stopped drinking when I was in fourth grade.  Too many beers made my dad angry. My mom endured a lot in these first five years of marriage.   My mom was a long way from her real family and having close friends in a small town was good for her.  Jason and Charlotte were loving people who my mom could turn to in time of need.  I remember Charlotte as a good woman. She was very involved with her church.  She was nothing like some religious fanatics are today.  She was not a “Bible thumper” She had Jesus in her heart and shared her heart with those around her.  Charlotte was also our emergency contact with the school. I remember having to learn her phone number by memory in kindergarten. She was the person we would call, if we got sick at school and mom was not home.  She would pick us up and then wait with us at the house until mom could be located. She also made the best grilled cheese.  Charlotte would also volunteer at the local Senior Center. She even helped teach the little kids at church and worked in the church nursery.  She also delivered Meals on Wheels to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. She found enjoyment and goodness in helping others.

Yes, she had Jesus…or more like Jesus had her.  “The bible in the car was for church, and Jesus in your heart was for every day.” I will always remember the good things they did for our family. She was one in a million.