The Names He Would Call Me

   

(This is not a photo I took, although I have taken some of a gumbolily, I just couldn't find them. I think a few of my photos were pre digital days.)

  Todd had a few nick names for me, when we first were dating, he called me "Angel" now before you think it was because of my angelic personality, cough, cough, let me explain.  In the late 70's, early 80's there was a TV show called Charlie's Angels.  I think it was some kind of detective or cop show, I really don't remember. I'm not sure I ever even watched it, but I do know this Charlie had three girls that worked with him and they had long hair.  So Todd would call me his "Angel" and sent me off on 'secret missions' or something.  I really don't remember the whole inside joke we had about it, but it had more to do with my long hair than my angelic personality.  I even made him a tee shirt, when I worked at The Shirt Shack that said, "Cowboy, I love you, Angel."  Somehow after we married, he quit calling me Angel, I have always wondered why. 

   Years later, he started calling me "31." It's kind of a cowboy thing sort of.  You see all the cows were tagged with numbers, and he gave me "31" after the woman in Proverbs 31.  She's the virtuous woman.  I'm not sure I have ever gotten as high as her accolades, but I've tried to follow her example.

    He teased me that I was his "Handy Man," when he came in the house one day, and I had laid new flooring in our laundry room all by myself.  I had also received in the mail that day, an invitation to join the "Handy Man Club of America" of course addressed to Mr Kelley Reuer.  I was ticked that they thought I was a man, and Todd thought it was hilarious. Although Todd could hammer way better than me, which had to do with him being ambidextrous, in most other things I really was the better handy man, and so I really did do most of the minor repairs, and all of the remodeling around the house. 

     There was the KellBell, and Kelley Bell, that is common nickname within my family.  He never called me by my nick name, George, that I grew up with, because of his sister Georgia, who we of course call George.  I was called George as a kid, cause  people would ask my Mom what her cute (I added the cute part) little girl's name was, to which she'd say "George."  I would get upset, and say, no my name is "Kelley."  Somehow later, the nick name stuck, and I was called George anyway.

      But I guess my favorite nickname was when he called me his Gumbolily. Most people, unless you're from westriver in South Dakota, don't have a clue as to what a gumbolily is. Ok, I guess I say that cause, I didn't have a clue as to what it was until I lived westriver. It's a flower, that grows in the worst of the worst soil, the hardpan gumbo. Nothing else will grow in it, but a gumbolily will.  They're a short flower, leaves looking somewhat like a lilly but with a flower that looks like a prairie rose, and actually smells like a fragrant rose.  They're usually white, but will turn pink or lavendar as they mature. All in all they're a beautiful flower.  I tried once to replant one in some good soil in my flower bed, it didn't work. Unless you take  a lot of the hardpan soil with it, it will not grow in good soil.  I did have a friend that was sucessful in transplanting one, so it is possible, but I never was able to accomplish that task.

    I remember one time, Todd coming in the house, and he was so excited, he said I had to come with him, he had to show me something.  I kept asking him, "What, what is it?" but he just said, "Just come, I'll show you."  We got down to the dam below the barn, and there in the hardpan soil, was several gumbolily's blooming. They were so beautiful.  The smell was heavenly.  I was so glad I followed Todd down to the dam, even though I was always terrified I'd see a rattler when walking through the pasture.

    To me it was one of the highest compliments and dearest names he called me.  Gumbolily.  In calling me that he was saying he had confidence that I could bloom and blossom in the worst of conditions.  He was saying to me, you're beautiful, and sweet and gonna make it through this tough time.  I believe he's still cheering me on from heaven, saying "Come on my Gumbolily, you can bloom, you can blossom, you can release the sweet fragrance of Jesus in this hard, hard place you're in."  

    Through God's grace I will, I'll continue to be that Gumbolily.  It's just taking a lot of God's grace to do it now.  But that's good, cause grace is God's influence in my life, and right now I'll take ever bit of His influence in my life, to help me bloom in this hardpan soil.  I pray I can stay worthy of the name Gumbolily, so dearly given to me by my Cowboy Todd.