Mother's day Blessings

I can't think of another Holiday that takes on different meanings like that of Mother's Day.

Easter we celebrate Resurrection of our Lord.  Yes we may have traditions in which we color Easter Eggs, or have Easter Egg hunts and fill baskets with goodies but ultimately there is 1 reason in which we celebrate it. 


We can trace the historic American Christian tradition of Thanksgiving back to the year 1623 after the harvest crops were gathered in November, Governor William Bradford of the Pilgrim Colony, in Plymouth Massachusetts proclaimed:

"All ye Pilgrims with your wives and little ones, do gather at the Meeting House, on the hill… there to listen to the pastor, and render Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for all His blessings."

Christmas we celebrate the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and again even with all of the "woven in" traditions we are still really just celebrating His Birth and what it means.

Mothers day though is different for so many.  In one day we can be celebrating our own mothers while we are also being celebrated for being mothers.  This day isn't like our Birthday where we are celebrating the birth of an individual, we share this day and what a privilege to do so. 

Unfortunately, for some of us we no longer have our mothers with us to celebrate however what better day to continue to honor them. 

When I get cards, or compliments, well written words from my children about the mom I am, I think about my own mother.  Some of the good qualities I learned from her and the qualities I may possess because she didn't are still an indirect gift from her.  She may have parented different than I do, however in her doing so it taught me about the kind of mother I wanted to be.

Mothers day this year is a day of reflection for me.  You see this year I have the distinct pleasure of calling my own daughter on this her very first Mothers day.  I know share this badge with her.  We have been mother/daughter, parent/child, daughter/friend and now we are both mothers.

She will now get it! The mama bear instincts, the pit in your stomach when your child is ill, or hurting, or not near you or struggling with something.  She will get the tears of joy when they accomplish the smallest of tasks.   I will now longer be the only one with that label of motherhood and I proudly share this with her.

In the past couple weeks I have had much time to reflect on my life, and the recurring thoughts I had were about my life as a mother.  I have been very ill and surprisingly it had me thinking about my own mother who has been gone for many years now.  It made me realize that no matter how old we are, how strong we are, how together we think we are there are times we still miss our moms.

I thought about the legacy I would be leaving my own children.  Would it be enough?  Are their minds and hearts stored with enough memories and love to sustain them?  Have I taught them enough? Have I clipped their wings enough? Have they learned all the family traditions the need to carry on? 

My firstborn son now 30, married with a successful and honorable career, sent me a beautiful card and though the pre-printed words were beautiful, it is what he wrote inside from his heart, it is what he does for me, It is him saying that he is so proud to call me mom and the one thing he can't wait for when he returns to the states is that he can call me everyday!

My beautiful daughter now a new mommy with a daughter of her own. She may not know how special it is but she sent me my first Grandma card.  She had a house full of people and was expecting her brother and his wife from Saudi Arabia for a week to meet their new niece and when she learned I was on the hospital she was going to book a flight to be by my side.  Though I would have loved nothing more- the real gift is knowing they were going to be together, these 2 children of mine who love one another so much- Yes I think they get it and I think I did do enough.

My mommy hood though continues on now as I teach a new young man.  I can equip him with the tools he needs, and guide him in the paths I think he should go. Even though he came into our family in a different way he is no less family, he grew not in my belly and not only in my heart but in the heart of my amazing children. Today he put on his tuxedo t-shirt after church and laid a towel over his arm and said "I am your butler for the day" 

So even though gone are the days when I would leave little notes in lunch boxes, or camping bags, Or when we would have marathon talks about life's lessons. When the problems of their childhood days seemed monumental and I had to try to teach them that this will not matter later on. I see the joy in the hearts when we go through their things in the basement to see what is worthy of surviving another move and they say, "wow you still have this"? Yes my child it was so special to me then and it is now. I have clipped those apron strings but I give one to each of you to carry in your pocket.