Tribute to my momma,
Mothers are beautiful and special in a way that is almost indescribable. The love that a mother has for her children is truly unconditional; a bond like no other. I can tell you that the work of a mother is not easy. The love is effortless but it's tough when you consider all the work that is involved. All the blood, sweat and tears you pour into your child truly shows that you give them your best. And it doesn't just stop there. Even on some of the best days, you feel like you could've done better, and because we want the best for our children we are always striving to be the best version of ourselves.
Whether you've birthed a child or adopted a child, the love that you have shown your children will always be forever imprinted on your child’s heart. Mothers are loving, nurturing, gentle, forgiving, and tend to put the needs of others before themselves and they do it with a grateful heart. I don't know how many times I've gone two days without a shower.... eek. Can't believe I just admitted that.
Oh, and let's not forget the many times we've cleaned up spills, vomit and poop from our floors, cried for punishing our children, lost tremendous amounts of sleep, ate chicken nuggets for dinner, stayed up all night worrying about one of the kids, bit all of our nails off trying to teach our teenager how to drive, etc. The list could go on and on. Mothers are truly a blessing and I’m glad that there's a holiday that recognizes all the effort and hard work that comes with this title.
It's so ironic how the selfless acts of your mother go unnoticed when you're a child but the minute you become a parent you really start to appreciate and understand everything your mom has done for you. If you have a mother that is still around to hug, hug her and tell her just how much she means to you. There are plenty of people out there that just can’t do that today, including myself. For those of us who can’t physically hold our moms, we can cherish the beautiful memories they have left us with. For most of us, we can still remember the last time we talked to our mothers as if it were yesterday……….
For me, it was Mother’s Day weekend, six years ago today. Momma was so excited to have all of her children, together in one place, at the same time, celebrating with her. That day we were sitting on her large wooden front porch talking and watching her watch the birds come and go. She loved to watch the birds!! I remember her telling me that since she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer her vision had changed."What do you mean by that?" I asked. " Has it gotten worse?". She looked at me and simply said that" Everything just looks clearer to me." She then explained that all of God’s creation was becoming so vivid and crisp with every day that passed. Explaining it was difficult. All she could say was that it was just amazing. She said it with such sincerity and peace in her heart. We also had a conversation that day about the hard time my brothers and I gave her as teenagers. I asked her for her forgiveness and she just smiled at me and said, “It’s okay”. In her sweet German accent. “I’m so proud of all of you.” She then mentioned that she could’ve made some better decisions for us but was glad that we all turned out the way we did. Even to her death bed, mom was still trying to convince herself that she could've been a better mother. While she may have failed at some things, she never gave up on us. Her love for us was strong, it was the glue that held us together and still holds us together to this day.
As an immigrant from Germany, my mother always taught us the value of a hard-earned dollar. She always taught us to work hard and it must have affected us because my brothers and I, are some hard-working individuals. Not only did she teach us the value of hard work, she taught us to be humble and selfless. She always put the needs of others above her own. She was the woman that would have literally given you the shoes from her feet, on a blazing hot day. She loved with a big heart and she loved everyone. I can’t even count how many close childhood friends we had that called her “mom”. She was my rock. She meant the world to my brothers and I. When she went to be with the Lord it really rocked my world but for some reason, God gave me an overwhelming peace about it. I knew I would see her again, but I learned a hard life lesson. TIME IS VALUABLE. You can never get time back. From that moment on, my life was forever changed. My mother’s words are still embedded in my heart and I feel like a part of her is still with me. Sometimes I wonder what she would say if she were still here to see all of her beautiful grandbabies. There’s no doubt in my mind she would be lovin' on all of them. Maybe even teaching them some German. Although she is not here physically, the love and kindness she instilled in me inspires me every day. There's just something powerful about a mother's love.
To all the mommas out there,
May the Lord continue to bless your hands and your works every day. You are appreciated and you mean the world to your children. More then you'll ever know!
