A Tribute to My Mom

That's my mom in the center, with her sister and brother at her surprise 50th birthday party last November

I know my mom isn't going to read this but I just wanted to write something to honor her! I may even copy and paste this into WORD and then print it out for her so she can see how much I truly love, respect and admire her...

It occurred to me last week that there was never a time in my life where I remember my mom complaining or grumbling about her responsibilities as wife and mother. Not once! I was an only child and therefore my mom played with me more than most parents play with their children. I remember her always having time for me, ALWAYS. There wasn't one time I can recall that she acted like she was too busy or it was bothersome for her to stop whatever it was she was doing and come play with me. I have such fond memories of all our playtimes! Now that I am a mom of two young kids I realized one day that my mom must have gotten overwhelmed and exhausted with playing so much. I know I get so tired of playing day after day and at times I just don't want to do it anymore. I sadly am sure my children have seen that spirit of unwillingness in me. So I asked my mom one day if she ever got annoyed with playing so much. She was honest with me and told me there were more than a few times when the thought of playing and pretending made her want to scream but she did it anyway because she loved me and knew those days were fleeting. I was surprised because not once did she ever act like she didn't want to do whatever it was I wanted to do. Along those same lines, I have come to realize that my mom must have felt overwhelmed with her load of work at home and at her job from time to time. Every woman does! It was completely on her shoulders to come home after work and cook dinner, clean up after dinner, do any housework that needed to be done, take care of the church ministries she was involved with, and still have time to play with me. And again, she never once complained or made it seem like a chore. She always made it seem like she enjoyed these things and did them with an attitude that I know glorified the Lord. I asked her this weekend about this...I asked her if she ever felt completely worn out with it all because I know lately that is how I have been feeling. She told me that she felt that way many times, but would always ask the Lord to help her do what He had called her to do (even those mundane every day tasks of taking care of her family) with a humble grateful spirit. There was another time in my life when looking back I don't know how my mom made it through without falling apart. I was in 9th grade and had developed a rather bad eating and compulsive exercising disorder. During this very difficult time my dad had a bad accident at work and broke some vertebrae and his ankle. He was completely unable to do anything for himself for awhile which left my mom with EVERYTHING to do. No breaks, no help, just her. She had to take care of her home, go to work every day, take care of her injured husband, take care of her sick daughter, take care of the bills, and all the while she did it with a smile. We talked about this this weekend too, and I came to find out that it wasn't as easy for her as she made it seem. There was a time when she was completely at her wits end and didn't know what else to do, so as always she turned to the Lord for strength only He could give her. Eventually dad got better, I came to my senses and got help for my problems, and our family was renewed and strengthened and I do believe that is SOLELY because of the prayers of a faithful wife and mom! My mom has always been a caring, thoughtful, wise, Godly woman whose love I have never once questioned. I look up to her in so many ways and the older I get the more I admire her. Dad told her recently that she is his hero, well for that matter she is my hero as well. I know she doesn't know what an amazing woman and inspiration she really is, but I pray that God will show me ways to show her that and that He will enable me to be that kind of mom that my kids can look back on and remember as being an unconditionally loving, patient, mom and a Godly woman who always sought the Lord in every circumstance.