I was barely 20 years old. The first time I held her in my arms, I felt such a surge of love well up within me. This tiny little swollen, red-faced bundle of joy jolted this young mother into an entirely new world of sleepless nights, diapers, band-aids, bottles, puppies, bicycle accidents, birthday parties, Halloween costumes, broken hearts, and a lifetime of laughter - and I have never been the same since. Three years later her little brother came along and started the party all over again!
Oh the joys of motherhood! Life has taught me that no matter where you are from, or the circumstances in which you may find yourself, the heart of a mother never stops beating for her child. The diaper rash and sniffles that kept us up at night in the early days eventually turn into bigger issues such as choices in marriage partners and career paths. Life is a tapestry of pleasure and pain, and woven through all the laughter and cherished family times, we find ourselves sending our children off to war or out into a world where we know they are about to learn some really hard lessons. Perhaps we just watch from the sidelines as they make choices for their lives…and again, we find it hard to sleep.
As this Mother’s Day approaches, my son-in-law is being deployed to some unknown destination at sea while my daughter and grandkids prepare to be without Daddy soon. One of our kids survived what could have been a fatal car accident just days ago. The others work to fulfill their dreams….and the beat goes on.
Like my parents before me, I remember the day I stood at an altar with each of my babies and dedicated myself to raising them according to the will of God. I had no idea at that time what lay ahead of me in life. I didn’t know that I would later face life for years as a single mother. I didn’t know all the things that would affect my children. But looking back, I am so grateful to say that through it all, God has been faithful, and today I couldn’t be any prouder of the adults those little babies grew into.
So, this Mother’s Day, I am simply grateful…grateful for the heritage of godly grandmothers and my own mother that molded me. I’m grateful for the privilege of being a mom, with all the joys and sorrows that it brings. Now when I look into a tiny little, swollen red face looking up at me, it means we have just been blessed with a new grandchild. So, to all of you that are blessed to be called mothers today, I salute you. Together, we stand united with our hearts beating for our children, like a thread that holds together the tapestry of our families, our nation, and our world.
Happy Mother’s Day!
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