Dear Mom
Well, here it is Mother’s Day. Your day, we are told. No matter how inadequate or ill-conceived our efforts may be to show it… we love you. We do appreciate you, and all the untold and unnumbered things you do to make our lives better.
Of course that includes driving us way too fast to soccer and dance practice… driving us to school because we’re too “big” to ride the bus; packing lunches that we probably complain about because it’s “peanut butter again.” And then, of course, there’s your work as an on-call, 24 hour immediate care nurse. How many times have you “kissed it” with the magic cure-all of Momma’s lips!
You have sewn costumes and dresses; become a “science major” that helped us with last-minute assignments from school; or a patient encourager as we learned to play violin or trumpet (or drums!).
Somehow, you managed to prepare more meals than can be counted and kept a (reasonably) clean house and kept us in reasonably clean clothes! You sacrificed time, money, sleep and energy to see us through childhood and into high school and beyond. As a relationship counselor, you helped us when our friends were unkind or rejected us; when our first boyfriend or girlfriend broke our hearts.
In the midst of all this, you managed to make life fun. Games, and songs, and laughter fill our memory banks of years at home. Maybe your laughter came through tears. You are human. Your heart got broken, too. Maybe you and Dad struggled in your marriage. Or you live the dual life of a Mom who also works outside the home. Perhaps you raised us as a single Mom… the hardest job of earth.
And then one day, we broke the news that a new person has come along and stolen our hearts… and we’re going to get married! We watched as you struggled (struggle?) to “cut the apron strings.” You resisted the urge to call or visit us every day as we learned to be a couple, and learn to model what you and Dad showed us through the witness of your life.
Of course, maybe along the way we made you a grandma! (Mamaw? Nana? Granny?) Now you are showing your love to us again as you love the baby that is your grandchild.
All of these things Mom, we understand, you didn’t do perfectly. No human being could. But you did them well… and we will always be grateful to you for bringing us into the world through your body… and sending us into the world with your heart.
Maybe Mom, you took a part of our heart with you when you left us too soon and went to Heaven. For some of us, this is our first year without you here to say “thank you.” We hope, somehow, you know our hearts and the gratitude that we cannot express face-to-face.
The Bible tells us we are to “rise up and called you blessed.” This is what we want to do. You deserve it more than words, cards, flowers, and breakfast in bed or lunch in a nice restaurant can ever tell. We honor you this day and we really and truly hope you feel it!
Love,
Your kids
