It’s Mother’s Day! No, Hubby dear, it’s not a day Hallmark invented to sell more cards, and it’s not a day flower shops promote to sell more flowers (haha, family joke). It’s a reminder of how much we owe to our loving mothers. Some mothers are not loving, kind, or nurturing; they’re excluded from this holiday.
I’m blessed to still have my loving mother around. I talk to her on the phone a lot and go see her from time to time. She sacrificed a lot to make sure her children had food to eat and clothes to wear. She canned thousands of jars of beans, corn, tomatoes, and other produce from our garden. Our cellar was full of jars of fruit that she’d picked from an orchard somewhere. She made all my clothes, her clothes, and my sister’s clothes. My brothers were spoiled with store-bought clothes, but after the nightmare of making a pair of men’s slacks, I understand why. She made my wedding gown and my wedding cake. She’s multitalented.
She’s also a great grandmother. She took care of my kids a lot when they were young. She hosted them for a month every summer when they got older and we lived in another state. All of her grandkids are special to her. She makes sure she sends cards to all of them on their birthdays and remembers her great-grandchildren in special ways.
I’ve also experienced the mothering of other women in my life. Hubby and I built our first house with the help and support of my in-laws. Cheryl gave me the altered shirt pattern that I used to make the jillions of shirts for Hubby during our early years. She helped buy school clothes for the kids and took them to special fun places in the summer (i.e., Worlds of Fun, KC Royals games, boating on the Missouri River), places we couldn’t take them.
As a teenager, I spent a lot of time at the my best friend’s house. Her parents were like another set of parents for me. Owalah was gracious to share her home with me. She made the best chocolate pies which she would divide up and we’d eat the whole thing. She didn’t mind if we made chocolate brownies late at night, smothered them in butter, and pigged out while we watched the late night movie.
Jewel told me the first time Hubby came to church with me, “That’s the one.” How she knew, I’ll never know. She also taught me to swaddle a baby and keep it covered with a blanket all the time, no matter how hot I thought it was.
Jan has taught me how to be compassionate. She has no children, but calls herself Aunt to the World. I love that! She’s kind to everyone, even to the point of supporting people who find themselves in a bad way. She’s encouraging and sensitive, but doesn’t take guff from anyone. I admire her so much.
These are just a few of the women who have had a positive influence on me throughout my life. I could go on and on because the list is long. Today is a great day to remember not only your mother, but all women who have given good advice and lived an amazing example for us to follow. They deserve our respect and honor not only on this day, but every day.