For Mom, With Love 5/9/10

To know my mom is to love her.

Her personality exceeds welcome, friendship, giving...love.

Born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1946, she was the 4th of 10 children. Her childhood was extremely poor. She shared coloring with her siblings at Christmas and worked harder than I probably do in a week by the time she was 10. Her dad was an abusive alcoholic - and if you asked her, she would probably tell you what she remembers most about him is being afraid. Her mom loved the best she could - loved as much as she could, given her circumstances.

My mom was born into Christ at the age of 15. She will tell you that His love is the best she's ever known.

Several years later she married my dad. And then several more later, my older sister was born. My mom says she would cry while she watched her sleep because she was unsure of the kind of mom she would be. She was also certain she was inadequate to become a mom for a second time, but God was certain she wasn't.

For as long as I can remember, her affection has overflowed and her selflessness precedent. Our home was clean, we ate home-cooked meals 5 out of 7 days each week (maybe more), and we were taught respect, compassion, please, thank you, yes ma'am, no ma'am, to give everyone the benefit of the doubt whenever possible, and to love God with all our hearts and all our minds.

She has said many times that she's "not perfect" - but I don't believe her for one minute. To me, she is beauty. She is sacrifice. She is warmth. She is amazing. She is the best mom I'll ever know. She's the mom I strive to be every day. And if I do half the job she's done, I count it as success.


Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you..., Mom, ...surpass them all. (Proverbs 31: 28-29