Sunbonnet Soliloquy

By Jewell Ellen Smith

A Motto Luncheon

This is a piece about a snail who went to Jerusalem, fourteen friends (mine, not the snail’s), and a situation which led to the invention of a noonday party called “A Motto Luncheon.”

First, the snail:

“By patience, perseverance and a bottle of sweet oil the snail at length reached Jerusalem!”

When the slow moving creature started his travels is uncertain. But he had already arrived in the great city on this past May 10, for that was the day Ruth Ann Bond, one of the fourteen friends, told me of the snail’s epic journey.

Now, about the friends:

Ruth Ann and the thirteen others are all members of a club called Creative Stitchery, a sub-group of the Enterprise Branch American Association of University Women. And they were out at my house the morning of May 10 for a routine luncheon meeting. Each had brought her fancy needlework, as is their custom.

And the situation?

It had nothing to do with the club ladies and their thimbles and threads. It was my problem. A HEDGEHOPPER problem. The deadline for the June Sunbonnet piece was upon me! (The 10th of each month is the absolute last day to turn in copy for the HH issue coming up.)

I had gathered a few notes on the subject of “A Motto for Living.” But then I became so busy polishing silver and cooking cakes and making other preparations for the Stitchery luncheon I didn’t have time to go over the notes, much less write the column!

“Ah, here’s the thing to do,” I said to myself just before the first guest drove up. “When those Coffee County ladies arrive, welcome ‘em warmly, sweet talk ‘em a little bit, serve ‘em some apple juice, and then band every last one a piece of paper and a pencil.

“Say: ‘Girls, you’ve heard of Little Tommy Tucker who had to sing for his supper, haven’t you? Well, today, as a special favor, will you please write for your lunch? Just to help me out! The deadline for my next HEDGEHOPPER article is today! And I don’t have one word on paper. So, if you will, please write down a favorite motto for living day by day! ... All your wise words put together will make excellent reading for Ft. Rucker wives!

It worked! And once the group got started writing out their thoughts and bits of philosophy and began reading them to each other, they got so excited they were almost reluctant to stop to eat lunch.

Here are their sayings:

“I shall not pass this way again; therefore, whatever good I find to do, let me do it now.” -- Tera Averett.

“There is no time like the present.” -- Martha Benton.

“Work is the yeast that raises the dough.” -- Nancy Ellis.

“Live one day at a time and live it to the best of your ability.” -- Bernice Garner.

“Live one day at a time and live that day to the fullest, for God and your fellowman.” -- Clara Belle Hayes.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” -- Betty Hopper.

“The one greatest thing in this world is a human being, and the greatest thing a human being does is to touch for good the lives of others.” -- Mildred Jernigan.

“After breakfast, work a while. After dinner, rest a while. After supper, walk a mile.” -- Julia Johnson.

“Planning and order keep things moving to a logical conclusion.” -- Thelma Martin.

“The reward of a job well done is to have done it.” -- Gladys Pittman.

“Try to be happy -- even if it kills you!” -- Ethel Seeley.

“Patience, a smile, and a soft voice will turn the anger of one who is hurt.” -- Joan Steele.

“The Golden Rule.” -- Eloise Wallace.

Several individuals paraphrased the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, which goes: Give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

All fourteen agreed that “A Motto Luncheon” is very pleasant.

Try it!

And, you might want to consider being like the snail who used patience, perseverance, and a bottle of sweet oil as he journeyed toward Jerusalem!

Published June 1979. Click your browser’s ‘Back’ key to return.