Happy Birthday, Mom!

"My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck." Proverbs 1:8,9

Good morning, ladies!

Personally, Mother's Day in May is a day to reflect on my role as a mom, and the blessings and responsibilities that the Lord has placed on my shoulders.  Thinking about my own mother, and the influence she had in my life, however, is reserved for today, January 25th.

Today would have been my mom's 76th birthday.

My mom passed away in March 1996 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.  I was a senior in college at the time.  That seems almost like another lifetime ago, and in many ways it really is.  She never met my future husband, held her grandkids, or saw us to the airport as we left the U.S. to come to France.  So many birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases and "occasions" have passed by as she passed on.

In many ways, however, her presence in my life is just as real as the day she left.

My mom was known as being a "smiley" person.  Everywhere she went, she made friends easily and laughed.  She was never happier than when she was making someone else's day a little bit lighter.

My mom loved "occasions" of all kinds.  Birthdays, Christmases, Thanksgivings, Anniversaries, all held fun surprises and Mom was always in the center.  She made the holidays fun.

My mom loved to organize special days for us kids as well.  In the summertime she would gather our friends for picnics in the park, or trips to a waterpark, or a special shopping day as I got older. She enjoyed being the chaperone as much as she enjoyed being the center of attention.

My mom loved music, played the piano and accordion, and accompanied her church's polka band.  I never got to hear her play as much as I would have liked, but what I remember was always beautiful.


My mom taught me to love learning, reading, studying, anything and everything I could get my hands on. Encyclopedias, dictionaries, books on all subjects and difficulties were always on call.  How many times did I hear mom tell me, "I don't know, look it up!"

(For you younger whipper-snappers, that's the 80s equivalent of "Google it.")

My mom was a great teacher.  She taught second grade and then tackled the "troubled kids" that no one else wanted to teach.  She made learning fun because the students never realized that she was teaching them. She had a way of making concepts as mudane as math and reading become life lessons and hands-on experiments.

And she did it without Google or Pinterest.  Go figure.

My mom was an artist, whether with her crafts or with a paintbrush.  While her talent (and my dad's as well) may have skipped a generation, it helped me to appreciate beauty and the joy of creating.


Most of all, my mom taught me the value of hard work.  My mom put herself through college while raising us kids.   She took care of us, did the canning, the gardening, the yard work, the hanging of laundry on the line. I never saw my mom's hands idle as a kid.  If she was watching TV, she had plastic canvas or yarn in her hand.  She went to bed early, got up early, and the times I saw her sitting down in between were very few.  Her rare treats were an RC Cola and her feet propped up in a recliner, reading a mystery story.

As I re-read these lines, I realize the impact of my mom in every area of my life.  My actions, attitudes, even my habits, professions, and preferences are an echo of the woman who raised me, and then passed away before she could see the "final" product.

None of us are guaranteed a life where we see the fruits of our labors.  As much as I hope that I will see my children leave home, go into the Lord's calling, hold my grandchildren, and befriend my adult children, I do not have the promise that will occur.

I do have the promise of my Lord.  He has promised never to leave me nor forsake me, and gives the same promise to my children.  If I am no longer able to be a physical presence in their lives, it is comforting to know that the time and instruction I invest in them now is more than enough--with God's grace-- to see them through their journey as adults.

I encourage you today not to wait until Mother's Day to honor the special ladies in your lives.  Hold them close, thank them for their tireless efforts, and let them share in your daily walk.

You'll be forever glad you did.