Happy Mother's Day Mom

Today is Mother’s Day - and today I want to celebrate my mother.

I admit, I have been fairly open about my own struggle on this tricky day… but one thing I’m not uncertain about, is how much I love my mom.

Forty-two years ago my parents chose life and brought me into this world. I was prayed for, and I was prayed over. I was surrounded and supported from my very first breath. I was doted on, I was spoiled, I was loved, and I’m sure I was a hand full. I’m fairly certain I am still a hand full. [wink]. Through thick and thin my mom and dad have been there for me.

The older I get, and the more people I meet, interact with, and hear life stories from, I am more and more grateful for the abundant gift of life that I have been given. How I grew up, what I have totally taken for granted, is something a lot of people could only have hoped for.

I grew up on a small farm with two parents who worked hard and loved each other well. I had grandparents in the same town that I lived, and they only lived one block apart from each other. I grew up with large family dinners every Sunday after church. I grew up with a pet or two always in the house, and many more just steps away outside. There always seemed to be an extra vehicle or two available whenever someone needed one, there was always a big vacation planned every summer, and an extra minute or two or ten was always granted whenever asked for.

While I didn’t grow up feeling super “rich,” I was never without. It was modeled and taught from very early on the importance of hard work, of saving strategically, of giving generously - both of my time and my money. I was born and raised in the church, there was always an abundance of gifts for us on birthdays and Christmas. My mom and dad gave me this great gift of a firm, solid, Christ centered foundation of life. I was taught respect, I was taught grace, I was taught forgiveness, I was taught strength, I was taught the importance of heritage and tradition.

The older I get, the messier my life and the revolving world around me gets, the more I realize the full extent of the grand caliber of childhood that I actually had. It’s awe inspiring and humbling. I am grateful, filled with pride and determination to continue their legacy.

My mom was always busy in the kitchen - baking and cooking. Bringing a meal to this family or that, bringing goodies to this event or that. My mom was always busy around the farm doing chores and mowing, taking care of the horses and dogs. My mom was always busy enjoying time with friends and family. My mom read a lot, took care of all the family finances, organized us, and successfully got us from here to there. She had patience, she had expectations, she had time to show, model, example, and teach. She handed me my loved for baking, for photography, for organized list making, for recipe books, and that it’s ok to embrace and celebrate small moments of time at home alone.

After I moved out, she’s continued to love and support from afar, she gracefully opened her hands and let me go. She also soon transitioned into a grandma in grand style. I love watching her with my kiddos. She loves and spoils them so well! She gives us all the grace and truth and support and love we all need in this circle of parent / child / grandchild / grandparent relationship.

She continues to give, and share life and laugh with friends and family, she continues to make and bring goodies and meals here, there, and everywhere. She continues to give and care and share selflessly day in and day out.

I’m beyond grateful for my gift of life and the grand gift given me through her example, her flexibility, her love, her hard work. I’m beyond grateful how much of her courses through the veins of myself now as an adult.

Thank you Mom!! Today I celebrate you!!

I celebrate all you have been throughout all the years of my life. I celebrate all that you have been throughout the years of my kiddos lives, as you have also poured into them with your grand-parenting heart and eyes. I celebrate the blessing in abundance you have always showered upon me through your gifts of time, travel, memories, behavior modeling. Words really will never to able to fully express the gratitude and returned love I feel from within me. Thank you for your continued understanding on the limited time we have to share with you during this current season of life as you are slowly entering retirement, while we are still being swallowed by the busy of full time jobs and full time parenting. Thank you for your patience and grace as you encourage and wait for us to simply stop over and be, simply share life together with you for whatever minutes and moments we can offer amid the busy stage of life we currently navigate.

May you know the depth of my love and gratitude for my life and my life’s foundation and trajectory. May you know the humble abundance I feel surrounded in every day knowing all that I have, all I have been given, all that I am becoming, and all that is unknown and yet to come.

You have given me more than I can ever express, imagine, or give back in return.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Such simple, basic words I realize, but may you also know they reach deep within and far beyond the stark basic black and whiteness of them on a simple sheet of paper or fancy hallmark greeting card. Truly from the depths within me - thank you for everything. For the little things, for the big things, and for all the crazy things in between. I couldn’t imagining having to navigate life without you, and am grateful every single day that God has granted us another day so we don’t have to.

Know you are loved deeply my dear dear mama. Know you are appreciated beyond imagination my dear dear mama. Know that my life, and all that I am, and all I have become and accomplished are directly a result from your goodness and grace, encouraging and loving me well my dear dear mama.

I love you and Happiest of Mother’s Day to you today! May you know the depth of my love and gratefulness for all that you are and all that you do! And like we did when I was a little girl - I’m leaning in to your ear and whispering “I have a secret - I love and like you!”

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