A Tribute to Mothers: Past, Present & Future

It's May. It's the month when mothers are "officially" honored for their efforts, large and small. God makes it clear in Deuteronomy that parents should be honored. He doesn't distinguish between good parents and not-so-good parents. He simply admonishes that they should be honored. To honor someone is to recognize them for the good they do. Sadly, some adult "children" have to dig very deep into their souls to lift their parents. I am very fortunate to have been blessed with parents, who no matter the imperfections, did everything they could to keep our family intact. But it's May. And Mother's Day is on the horizon. Before I write any further I'd like to make an aside to the last post, "Sex-Ed Is Not So Much TALK As It Is Modeled." I inferred that my mother was wrong in her statement that "good girls don't." Sometimes in my maturity I still hold on to the immaturity of my youth. That's not really attractive. As a mother of two adult children, I now know fully well, exactly what she meant when she made that statement. In essence she was "nail-on-the-head" right! Good girls, meaning girls who honor God; don't dis-honor Him by breaking His command by indulging in "dead-end" sex before marriage. I know there are a lot of naysayers who're ready to defend their behavior; but it's a few days before Mother's Day and I must stay focused on the theme. My mother crossed over into the eternal realm over a decade ago. I was fortunate to know her pricelessness. The best advice she gave me as an adult was, "A mother can no longer be the first to cry when her child gets sick." This treasured wisdom came on the heels of me crying when my infant son had colic. I kept those words close to my heart as the normal progression of bumps and bruises occurred throughout the years. Admittedly, the time my daughter broke her arm after falling off her brother's bike, left me futilely fighting the tears. But the advice she had given years earlier was right on. If I wanted them to be strong and brave, then it began with me. My mother was the mother she was, thanks to her mother, and her mother's mother, generations removed. I remember taking the time to hand-write a weekly letter to my maternal grandmother. I wish I could remember how my 8-year-old words came together in longhand; but, that was eons before MS-Word and computers. My awareness of my paternal grandmother was actually stronger after her crossing over, than on this side. But that's a discussion for a whole other blog. In a few short days, young children will offer handmade gifts; and adult children will wreck the budget, trying to tag a price onto something priceless: how much they love and treasure their mom. On my calendar, above the Mother's Day imprint, I've written the words "Everyday is." For me that is very true. I don't have to think very deeply to know how blessed I am to have two children who are independent; and, on the big scale of life have never given me any real burdens as they grew. Of course, all glory for this goes to God, and certainly not them or me. Yes, Mother's Day is a few short days away. My perfect day will be spent doing what I'd ordinarily do on this day. My favorite gifts will be made from the inborn giftedness given them by the Gifter. My daughter has an artist's hands. My son has a gift for music design. But as the day approaches, I can only give thanks to my Maker, Father God, for blessing me with the experience; and for allowing the journey, in hindsight, to be a relatively smooth one. To all the mothers of the world, Happy Mother's Day. Assure your children that the best gift they can give can't be bought: their unconditional and non-judgmental love for you. May you spend your day the way that gives you peace, without preconceived expectations that most likely will disappoint. So clink, clink: Let us raise our glasses of cheer for a toast to motherhood and mothers: past, present and future!