Every one of us owes our existence to our mothers. However, there is more to being a mother than birthing a child. It’s a tough job, one that lasts a lifetime.
A mother’s love is the deepest. Her caring is selfless, and she will protect you like no other.
There’s an old proverb that says: “Mother is a verb, not a noun.”
Mothers are always doing. From the time a child is born and until a mother breathes her last breath, she is doing for her children, thinking about them, often praying for them and always loving them. They never leave her heart or her mind.
When we were infants, they fed us, nursed us and took care of our every need. When we were sick, they spent countless hours sitting by our bed or holding us. They could fix our skinned knees and elbows better than any doctor.
Mothers often spend hours helping with homework and last-minute school projects. They do laundry, find lost shoes and socks, make ponytails and pigtails for little girls. They fix hot meals, bake cookies, provide rides to and from dance class, ball practice and games, friends’ houses and movie theaters. They often are the taxi to and from school.
Mothers can listen to more than one person at a time. They can praise you — and whip you into shape when you need it. They often reward good behavior with a smile, a hug, and sometimes, a cookie.
Good moms always know what their children are thinking, and if they are telling the truth. They are said to have eyes in the backs of their heads, so they always know where you are and what you are doing.
Trying to list all the things mothers do for their children is fruitless; the list is too long. But from the time mothers give birth, they nurture, teach, support and provide for their children, often without sufficient recognition and thanks.
Studies show that the best environment for raising children includes a two-parent household. That is true but, unfortunately, for one reason or another, many mothers don’t have that option and are required to shoulder all the parental responsibilities.
It isn’t unusual today to meet or learn about a successful person who was raised by his or her mother in a one-parent household.
It is not an easy task, to be sure, but many single mothers find a way to overcome the obstacles and serve as the homemaker, breadwinner, and guiding hand to children who do well in school and grow up to be exceptional people and parents themselves.
There are also grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren. To be sure, the task of mothering is lifelong.
For all the reasons listed and so many more, we pay tribute to our moms this Sunday, Mother’s Day. However, no floral bouquet, gift, or dinner at a restaurant can come close to properly repaying our mothers for all they did for us throughout our lives.
This is not to say we should forego these traditional gifts and expressions of gratitude this weekend, but we should show our gratitude to our mothers more than just one day a year.
For those of us whose mothers are no longer with us, our memories of them grow sweeter each day. Thank God for giving you a good mother. Spending a few quiet moments reflecting on all she did for you when she was alive will keep her memory alive and well.
Today, we celebrate all mothers and recognize the important contributions they make through their love and dedication to their children.
Happy Mother’s Day!