My mother is eighty-two now.
She still plays three Sundays a month. Pastor Whitfield asked her to pick which ones. She picked the first, the third, and whichever one has a funeral that week.
Last spring, Lois Ferris passed. She was ninety-one.
The family asked for “Shall We Gather at the River.”
My mother played it. And then, at the very end of the service, without anybody asking, Pastor Whitfield nodded to her, and she played one more.
“It Is Well With My Soul.”
And I watched two hundred people stand up.
Not because anyone told them to. Because a year before, they’d learned what it meant.
When it was over, my mother came down from the bench and sat beside me in the fourth pew. She was tired. She folded her hands.
“I’m writing her in the book tonight,” she said.
“I know, Mom.”
“I’m going to put down that everyone stood.”
“They did.”
She was quiet a while. The sanctuary was emptying out around us.
“Karen,” she said. “Do you know why I didn’t fight him that day? In his office?”
“I always figured you were being polite.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t being polite. I was being sure.”
“Sure of what?”
“That I didn’t need to.” She looked up at the organ pipes, gold and silver in the window light. “Fifty-two years, honey. You don’t argue for fifty-two years. You just play the hymn. And then you let the people who were there decide what it was worth.”
She patted my hand and stood up.
“Come on,” she said. “I’ve got a roast in.”
I drove her home. She sat in the passenger seat with her hymnal in her lap.
That night, I went by to drop off a casserole dish she’d left at church. The dining room light was on. Through the window I could see her at the table with a fresh notebook open, the cheap kind with a cardboard cover, and a pen in her hand.
She was writing.
I didn’t knock. I left the dish on the porch and stood there in the dark for a minute, watching my mother write down the name of a woman she’d played for, so that no one in that town would ever be just a Saturday.
Then I went home.
Sophia Rivers is an experienced News Content Editor with a sharp eye for detail and a passion for delivering accurate and engaging news stories. At TheArchivists, she specializes in curating, editing, and presenting news content that informs and resonates with a global audience.
Sophia holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Toronto, where she developed her skills in news reporting, media ethics, and digital journalism. Her expertise lies in identifying key stories, crafting compelling narratives, and ensuring journalistic integrity in every piece she edits.
Known for her precision and dedication to the truth, Sophia thrives in the fast-paced world of news editing. At TheArchivists, she focuses on producing high-quality news content that keeps readers informed while maintaining a balanced and insightful perspective.
With a commitment to delivering impactful journalism, Sophia is passionate about bringing clarity to complex issues and amplifying voices that matter. Her work reflects her belief in the power of news to shape conversations and inspire change.