mothers

Only One Mom

Backstory

Have you seen that commercial that says you can get so used to a scent that you don’t smell it anymore? Have you had furniture turn shabby and you’re so used to seeing it that you don’t notice? It’s easy to take for granted something that is there all the time; maybe even someone who is there constantly, benefiting you, encouraging you, helping you. Renewing recognition of that kind of person is what this week’s story is about.

Only One Mom

The other day, a speaker talked about those things in life of which we have many, and those of which we have just one.

Many clothes . . . many restaurants . . . many TV shows . . .only one life . . . only one body . . . only one Mother.

It got me thinking about my own mother. She was certainly one of a kind. Taught me there was nothing I could not do . . . at a time when that was not the prevailing theme.

She went back into the workplace at 40 and did not find a warm welcome. All the successes she had as wife and mother did not seem to matter in the work era of the 1970s. Yet she worked her way up to become a loan officer at a bank . . .

And then became a gun-tottin’ deputy sheriff. Quite a woman, quite a role model.

If I could have only one mother, she is the one I would have chosen.

How about you? Think about your mother today. How much she gave you. How much of her is in you. Have you thanked her lately?

She made sacrifices for you. She went out of her way for you. She put herself second, and you first. She may have been the best mother in the world, or not.

For better or worse, she’s your one and only mother. Treat her special.

P.S.

It’s so easy to put off the call or text or Facebook post to your mom. She knows you love her. You don’t need to keep telling her, right? Is she on your speed dial? You are on her mind, guaranteed. Go ahead. Contact her – and tell her the ILY thing, yet again.

[Show #289]

Tribute to Moms

Backstory

Some friends and I were talking about the things moms do for their kids. The discussion was hilarious as we evoked memories of funny or trying or absurd experiences. We talked about the things we were willing to do, because – well, because that’s what moms do. The next time I sat down to write, those stories came pouring back; not as jokes this time, but as a celebration of what moms do and who they are.

Tribute to Moms – #287

Click to listen or follow below to read.

This show is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors…and for all the mom who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games so they could SHARE that magic moment with their kids.

This is for the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store, and for those who count to ten instead. It’s for the moms who go hungry, so their children can eat. For those who read “Goodnight, Moon” twice a night for a year…and then read it again. “Just one more time.”

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school….and for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead. This show celebrates the moms who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot. This for the mothers who gave birth to babies they’ll never see…and the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls “Mom?” in a crowd, even though they know their own kids are at home— or away at college—or have their own families.

Mom is the one who provides a soft landing – no matter how old her children are. Thank goodness moms come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Thank goodness moms are there.

P.S.

I hope you enjoyed today’s tribute to moms. If it hit home, go call a mom who deserves credit and give her some love.

[Show #287]

Edited and updated May 19, 2019.

Mother’s Day Magic

What magic is given to mothers that they have such an ability to soothe? Antibiotics may cure the illness, but it’s a mother’s hands that soothe the pain, calm the fears and provide the reassurance.

Your hand in your mom’s can fix things, at any age. She always seems to know how you feel, what you need and what might be worrying you. She’s someone you can talk to, turn to, confess to.

What a wonderful gift she is. Her smile can remind you of the best in yourself. Her encouragement can convince you that you CAN get it done. When she doesn’t agree with you, she just may give you the cause to pause that results in making a better decision.

On Mother’s Day and year-round, give thanks that God made mothers. Something to consider.

[Show #137]

Private Moments for Mothers

This is a little private moment for the mothers in our audience. Did you ever think you’d be able to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Where did we learn how to do things like that?

What magical power was bestowed upon us for the years when our families needed us 24/7? Where did we get the patience to sit and rock for hours on end soothing a crying baby who refused to be comforted? Sometimes we know exactly what to do . . . and sometimes we don’t.

So this is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can’t find the words to reach them. This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peace loving and now pray they come home safely from a war.

The emotions of motherhood are universal and our thoughts today are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation, and mature mothers learning to let go. For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mom and married moms. Mothers with money, mothers without.

Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them and show them besides. And pray and never stop being a mom. No, never stop.

[Show #288]