I don't usually do Birthday Blogs because, well...I have a hard enough time keeping track of birthdays, much less plan ahead enough to have a blog ready. But, today is my mom's special day and since work has consumed 95% of my mind and I haven't gone shopping yet and the card (although in the mail) will arrive late, I decided this would be a great way to celebrate her.
I have been reminded many times lately how fortunate I am to have you as a Mom. Don't get me wrong...we have had our moments, right Mom? We are both slightly strong-willed and possibly a little stubborn. We have not always seen eye-to-eye on things (nor do we always to this day), and there have been days of high tension. All relationships face conflict, and ours has had enough of the good side of things to override the days of stress.
If I had to determine two things I KNOW about you, Mom they would be...
I learned these things pretty early on in life. You were dedicated to making our childhood so much better than what you experienced. Your struggles drove you to be better and make the most of every little opportunity. You hand made our birthday cakes, rolled cut-out cookies with us for Christmas, created family projects to do together and sacrificed much so we could have extras. We truly had an amazing childhood because of your dedication and love (along with help from Dad).
I remember getting on the bus and you would ALWAYS say, "I love you. Jesus is with you." I didn't really get that phrase then, but now as a Mom...I get it! You have always prayed for us daily and trusted that God would carry us through. I'm confident that you are one of the prayer warriors that carried me through my difficult days. I remember seeing you with your prayer journal as a little girl and asking what it was about. You showed me her list. Always part of that list was a husband for me and Emily. I thought it was funny then that you would pray for my husband. But now, I again know that your prayers played a role in bringing Michael into my life.
Mom, it was you who made the boo-boos better when I was little. It was you who forced us to have family night, which taught us the importance of family and how much we need one another. It was you who probably cried yourself to sleep in prayer during my darkest days. It was you who slept on the floor of my bedroom after Audrey was born because I was unable to sleep alone. It was you who first told me that Michael was added to "the list" you kept of potential husbands.
Thank you for making our family a priority.
Thank you for modeling a life of prayer and trust in God.
Thank you for loving me...even when I wasn't very lovable.
Thank you for trusting that God has a plan for my life even when we didn't understand.
Thank you for taking the good AND the bad and knowing that I always love you!
Have a great Birthday, Mom...we'll be there in 4 days to celebrate!!! We love you!
3 comments:
Made me cry! Beautiful tribute for a beautiful woman!
So sweet! What a nice way to honor your mom! I was crying..I think the hormones are part of the culprit!! As a mom all we can hope for is for our kids to know that we will be with them in the darkest days as well as the happiest days. It reminds me to pray for bigger things in my childrens life and not just the immeditae needs!
What a beautiful tribute to your mom!! Too many times we don't tell our moms how much we love and appreciate them, until it's too late and they're not around. But you have poured out your heart to your mom (and all of your readers as well) now. Tears are flowing here as well.
Sue, you are definitely a prayer warrior! Thanks for being an example to the rest of us!
Barb
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