As we celebrate Mother’s Day, I cannot help but reflect upon my two grandmother’s that graduated to eternity last summer. Somewhere between (or perhaps simultaneously existing as) rivals and best friends, these two women helped shape every piece of my life today.
Elizabeth Taylor’s Passion perfume.
Clinique Red lipstick, always.
Never without a full compliment of accessories.
Hospitality matched only by humor.
Equal parts sassy, classy, stubborn, and sweet.
Maw Maw Jean owned and operated Jean’s Beauty Salon for over 50 years in Bremen, Georgia. While one thing she despised most was sweating unnecessarily, she could be caught breaking a bead in order to make her yard beautiful. I remember, even as a child, how proud she was to receive the Garden Club award for “Most Beautiful Yard”. She had the sweetest giggle, and she always made every story work in your favor. She made every woman who sat in her salon chair feel brand new by the time she was done, and she wasn’t afraid to wield a paint brush or rearrange the furniture on any given day.
Memaw’s rose garden and vegetable garden were enviable, and her feasts were both welcoming and a spectacle of presentation. She never actually sat at the table with us, but perched on a stool near the buffet so she could be more than ready to refill your glass of sweet tea or to dish out a second helping of anything on your plate that you finished. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember her ever sitting down at all until the last few years of her life as her memory betrayed her and her strength diminished. Sweet-smelling anything reminds me of her. She was not afraid to work hard, but she made even hard work feel like fun with her spontaneity and wild sense of humor. Always down for an adventure and not afraid of any man, being just like her was my life’s goal when I was a girl.
Some have asked me through the years how I reconcile my faith with the “vanity” of a medical spa. I would be offended except for on a superficial level I can understand why some would wonder. But the answer is simple: I serve the original Architect of beauty. Each day we are given a new and uniquely crafted sunrise. Each evening, a glorious sunset is painted across the sky for our enjoyment. The beautiful things of this earth point us back to the beauty of Eternity that we can barely imagine in our current limited capacity. Our Creator, our Heavenly Father, wants so badly to have us walk with Him for all time that He shows us His glory in the small glimpses of the beauty of this Earth.
If God did not deem beauty as a necessary gift, we would not see Him in it or seek Him through it. When a woman feels confident in her own skin, her life changes for the better. To be a small part of that gift of confidence is both a blessing and a calling.
My grandmothers were beautiful, inside and out. They were kind, generous, affectionate, God-fearing women who prayed for me by name, supported my dreams, loved me unconditionally, and always welcomed me when I dropped by. They listened. They loved. They created beautiful spaces where we all felt welcomed and seen and heard. They pointed us to Jesus in everything they did, and I think that includes the painted lips, the perfect gardens, and the polished floors.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the women reading this—may the sunrise awaken your dreams and may the sunset be a gift to remind you that you are so very worthy and so very loved!
Jesus loves you and so do I!
Dr. Allison Key
