SOLSC #10 - A Special Bookmark

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Two Writing Teachers

One day last week Kay McGriff wrote a slice about bookmarks which reminded me of a very special bookmark given to me by my mother-in-law.

My mother-in-law was one of those mothers who saved everything which involved her children!  She had pictures they drew and stories they wrote.  Cards from their birthdays, baptism, and first communion.  Report cards, newspaper articles, and pictures.  You name it - she saved it!

She had special boxes or packages for each child.  She had seven children, so she had quite a collection.  After she passed away, my husband was given his box.  He, of course, thought it was silly that she kept all of this "junk," but I of course loved it and kept it all!

As I was perusing through the artifacts of his life as a child, I came across this old tattered prayer card. 

Since my mother-in-law was no longer here, I asked my husband's oldest sister about the significance of the card and why it was in my husband's box.  My husband is the fifth child out of seven.  He has four older sisters.  When my mother-in-law was pregnant with him, she desperately wanted a boy.  

This card is the prayer to Saint Ann, a prayer to obtain a special favor - to grant her a boy.  I was told she regularly prayed this prayer and was blessed with a boy, my husband.

My husband may think it is "junk," but I consider it a treasure.  I keep this card as a bookmark in my Bible and think about my mother-in-law and how lucky I am that she was blessed with this boy!