In September of 1982, my Mother passed away very unexpectedly. Through a series of events, I was actually spending the weekend at my parent’s home sick with a stomach flu, in order that my wife would be able to work and get a good night’s sleep. Early on the Sunday morning, my mother had a stroke and was gone in an instant. That was a heart-breaking time, because of the love I had, as any son has for his mother…and it had made having my father still alive that much more precious.
My mother was very quiet and private about her accomplishments, but one of the significant things she did was to open one of the first art galleries exclusively for Atlantic Canada artists in the City of Saint John. One of the most beautiful tributes to my mother following her death was what became known as the Barbara Ring Memorial Collection. Every artist that had been a client of my mother’s gallery either painted a work for specific donation, or donated a selected work of art. With only a few exceptions donated by our family, major artists of New Brunswick and the other Atlantic Provinces were represented. That showed a special kind of love.
As powerful as that act of love was…as powerful as the love of a son, of a husband, of a daughter-in-law for my mother…there is a biblical truth that needs to be realized.
God loves us more than that.