A Tribute to Mothers

Where would we be without them? Mother’s Day is a holiday that evokes so many different emotions. Card shops are filled with flowery cards that sing her praises and tell of all her virtues. Stores grab your attention with all the latest things that every mom needs. I’m blessed to have a great relationship with a wonderful mother who is strong, feisty, and lets you know what’s on her mind. She raised a family of eight on a shoestring budget, and led us to believe that we could do anything we wanted if we worked hard enough.

My mom’s mother died when she was just a baby. Just recently, she told me that as a child she remembered thinking it wasn’t fair not to have a mother. Her older sisters became important female role models in her life, and her father and brothers provided the security and guidance she needed.

Mother’s Day stirs up memories and sometimes those memories bring pain. The pain might come from loss, separation, or even abandonment. And for those unable to have children, there can be a feeling of emptiness.

My mother learned long ago as a child that life is full of questions, and we can ask “why”, or we can make the best of the situation that we’ve been given. The story began when she was born, but it’s been through her choices that she has continued to write the chapters of her life.

My grandfather never remarried, so my mother never had a chance to say “Happy Mother’s Day”, but that didn’t stop her from being an amazing mother to six kids, numerous grandchildren, and some pretty cute great-grandchildren.

Happy Mother’s Day mama. I love you.