A Thousand Words...

My precious mom and me on my second birthday.

Mother's Day is upon us. Mothers come in many varieties. They leave such a strong imprint on their children. No matter the type of mother you are born to, you always yearn for that mother's acceptance, approval, and love. When I think of my mother I remember her whipping up the best meals and rarely sitting down to enjoy them. I remember her denying herself of materialistic things and making sure we had what we needed. I remember her running a household, working twelve hour shifts, and still having time to talk with me. She always put money into savings for our future safety. She dreamed big for her children. She went to bat for me to allow me to experience the world in ways she never was able to do. During warm seasons, she kept fresh flowers, most often roses, she had picked from the yard on our kitchen table. Most importantly, I remember her genuine interest, talks, and time she gave to me. Rachel Sharon was and is the epitome of what a mother should be. I am truly blessed.

For boys, their mother is the first woman they fall in love with. As they grow, they color pictures, write poems, and make cards for her. No one can cook as well as her or know you like your mother. The most treasured things are making your favorite meal, kissing your boo boos, and the light in her eyes when she sees her son. That relationship teaches them how to love and respect the wife and mother of their children. It is so very important. The bond between a son and mother is indestructible.

For girls, their relationship is quite different. I've seen it too often and in myself. We know the world is tough for women. We subconsciously prepare our daughters for this sometimes to the point of friction. Girls test their mother's judgement and loyalty. Often they go running to their father for shelter and reassurance amid the squabbles of mother/daughter tension. Don't misunderstand me. Mothers treasure their daughters. There is no greater bond than between a mother and daughter. There is just a period of time when you feel more like sparring partners than mother and daughter. Think back. Who was real with you as a teenager? (Insert conflict here whether it be over makeup, hairstyles, clothes, friends, or boyfriends.) As we grow into women, we have a reckoning. When we become mothers ourselves, it slaps us in the face. The lightbulb comes on so brightly it momentarily blinds us. What do we do? We reach out to our mothers, hug them, and say, "I so get it. Your job is constant and never ending. You are the seamstress of our family making sure we all stay pulled together with stitches of support, direction, and altruistic love." We then bear our own needles to secure our own tapestry that is in progress. We realize how important our title is. We are mothers.

Seek out the mothers in your lives and show them you love and appreciate them. Mothers have such a heavy burden and carry it so gracefully. They mold honorable men. They meld strong women. They support husbands. They nurture those around them. The world would be a mess without mothers. Do something to honor the mother that helped shape and guide you.

Happy Mother's Day

Sarah Anderson Alley

Sal the Grateful for Rachel Gal

Quotes of the Day:

"God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers."

Rudyard Kipling

"Men are what their mothers made them."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Only mothers can think of the future - because they give birth to it in their children."

Maxim Gorky