In Honor of Mom

Mother's Day is here again and so I thought I would take some time to remember why it is so wonderful to have a mom and why it so much more wonderful to have my mom. I really won the mom lottery. Or maybe God just really really loved me so He gifted me with my mom. However it came about I am so very thankful. I have been very blessed in my life with great people. God has given me great friends and surrounded me with loving family members, but of all the people who have shaped and influenced my life my parents are at the top. And nobody, absolutely no one loves me more than my mom does. The older I get and the more I learn, the more I appreciate and understand my mother. And so again, I take the time to remember the things my mom has taught me:

Forgiveness:
 If my dad taught me not to make excuses or to justify myself, my mom taught me how to forgive. I can't remember how many times I came home from a rough day at school, upset and/or frustrated with a friend. Yet my mom always pointed the way for me to let go of whatever perceived slight I endured or whatever grudge I might want to hold and urged me to forgive. She encouraged me to pray for those who hurt me. She taught me that you injure yourself more by refusing to forgive. It's a hard lesson that I am still learing and will probably always have cause to practice, but my mom gave me a good head start to keeping my heart pure towards others. Not only did she teach it but she lived it out by example.

Sensitivity:
 I am not naturally sensitive to others feelings by nature. Not only am I selfish in seeing my own wants and needs, but I also have lacked the desire to even understand and have compassion for others. I'm more like my dad, bull in a china shop, open mouth insert foot and if someone gets offended well, that is their problem.  Living with my mom gave me good practice in being sensitive to those around me. My mom (and my sister too) are naturally sensitive and empathetic to others. They feel things more deeply and are more easily hurt, less likely to stand up to those who run over them. If not for my mom teaching me to be aware of those around me, to be sensitive to the words I use and to consider others first I might have left a wake of hurting angry people behind me. As it is, I am at least aware, making conscious effort to be less selfish. My mom taught me the words, "You may be right, I could be wrong" and "I'm sorry". My mom taught me that being right doesn't necessarily mean you win, and that being right doesn't give you the right to trod over others.

Family:
There is not much more rewarding in life than family. My mom has sown her life into creating a safe haven called family. No matter what else was going on outside the doors of home, once you were home you were safe and loved. Of course no family is perfect, but if it was would we ever really grow? I grew up in a home where we were encouraged to be ourselves, where we laughed and played  where memories were created and treasured. I grew up not only with the safe harbor of my parents and sisters surrounding me but an even larger circle of aunts, uncles and cousins who were as much a part of my life as the sun. Everyone with their own unique personality and yet everyone accepted just as they are. Everyone willing to pitch in and help the others, giving of themselves, just happy to be together. My mom helped give that to me and it is one of my favorite gifts.

Cooking:
My mom taught, okay tried to teach me the basics of cooking. I didn't really enjoy learning, but I sure appreciated it once I was out on my own. Some of my favorite recipes to this day are my mom's; her spaghetti, potato soup, lasagna...yum. Also, I have some good memories of working in the kitchen helping to snap green beans, form meat balls, rolling dough in cinnamon and sugar for monkey bread. This is one of those, "you'll thank me when you are older" things and boy was she right.

Nature:
My mom passed on a love of nature to me. I didn't realize it was happening until it was too late and I had already been brain-washed ; ) My mom would point out the beauty in the world around us, " Girls! Look at those beautiful trees." "Girls, look at those gorgeous flowers" "Isn't it a beautiful day." We would just roll our eyes and go back to whatever she had interrupted, but now I find myself doing the exact same thing to my husband. I first learned to love spring, because my mom would open up the windows in our house and let the fresh breezes blow through the house. There is not a better smell on earth than spring breezes after winter is over.

Manners:
Thanks to my mom I have a little more grace than I would have otherwise. Actually, I feel confident that in any given situation I will know how to proceed. "Hold your head up like you own the room and people will believe it." I've learned that manners are really just an act of thoughtfulness to others. A hand-written thank you note, a hostess gift, offering to pitch in and help, how to set a table properly, how to give and accept compliments graciously, what a proper cleaning REALLY looks like, that trimmed nails, a subtle perfume and a little lipstick can work wonders for how you feel about yourself and how others perceive you, that you only get one first impression so make it a good one and on it goes. I think my mom would be a great asset for Miss Manners when she writes her next book.

God:
Pretty much anything of any vaule that I've learned about God I've learned from and because of my mom. It is because of her that I have a relationship with Jesus, because she lived the example. She saturated us with it. I can't remember a time in my life that God was not the center of hers. These are among my most vivid memories. My mom taught me how to pray, how to stop and listen for God to speak, the importance of knowing the word of God and that true Christianity is found in relationship not in rules and religion. I watched my mom closely growing up, she would work in the kitchen while listening to teaching tapes, she would clean while listening to praise and worship, she prayed while she worked. Her first response was prayer. I knew that if I was sick I could ask her to pray for me and God would hear her. In fact sometimes I had more faith in her prayers than in God. My mom kept our house covered in God's grace because of her faithfulness.

These are just a very few of the things my mom has taught me. I'm so thankful for her influence and presence in my life. I"m so thankful that not only is my mom my mother but she is also my friend.
Happy Mothers Day!