Her Children Rise
for Mildred Dolores Orr

[intro]
Her children arise and they call her blessed —
that's the word she raised us on.

[verse]
She set the table before she ate,
she said the blessing, she made us wait,
hymnal open on the kitchen chair,
flour on her hands and a word of prayer.
She learned that table from her mother, DD,
who fed thirteen and called it family.
She never once let go of the Book —
now look at the room, Grandmother. Look.

[chorus]
Her children rise — Steve and Barry rise,
Judy rises, Rhonda and Nancy rise,
strength and honor is the coat she wore,
and it fits her finer than before.
Her children rise and they call her blessed —
oh, her children rise.

[verse]
Steve stands up, then Barry stands,
sons she rocked with her flour-white hands,
Judy and Gerry are on their feet,
Rhonda and Al in the second seat,
Nancy and Howard stand at the end —
five that she carried, and she'd carry them again.

[chorus]
Her children rise — Steve and Barry rise,
Judy rises, Rhonda and Nancy rise,
strength and honor is the coat she wore,
and it fits her finer than before.
Her children rise and they call her blessed —
oh, her children rise.

[bridge]
DD had thirteen.
Grandmother had five.
So we added a leaf to the table,
then a card table out in the hallway,
and the hall is still too full to seat.
There's a picture of DD on a porch —
Grandmother, that porch is yours now,
and the Book says her husband praised her too.

[chorus]
Her children rise — Steve and Barry rise,
Judy rises, Rhonda and Nancy rise,
strength and honor is the coat she wore,
and it fits her finer than before.
Her children rise and they call her blessed —
Grandmother, your children rise.

[outro]
Steve and Barry, Judy, Rhonda, and Nancy,
and everyone that came from them,
we'll do the standing, you just rest,
while the whole room calls you blessed.
Stay in your chair, Grandmother.
We'll do the rising now.

