She's a mom. What's your superpower?
On sunny afternoons like this one my mom would take us to the old Hamilton drive-in to get half-price slushies. She'd say, "Okay, what flavor do you want?"
We'd say, "What are they?"
"Cherry, orange, grape, lime, punch, and strawberry. What kind do you want?"
"Um. Uh...orange. No, grape. No. What are the kinds again, mama?"
She'd tell us again, "Cherry, orange, grape, lime, punch, and strawberry."
We continued to have that same conversation over and over again for several minutes. There were four of us, so my poor mom would have to repeat the flavor choices many times, yet she never lost her patience.
Sometimes we'd be fighting in the car, and she would say, "Y'all, I'm losing my patience." For some reason this statement always made me think of a dwindling supply of watercolors. I suppose because the word 'patience' sounded like 'paint' to me. Looking back now I realize that even though my mom said she was losing it, she never really did. I find myself amazed that she managed the rambunctious chaos of four small children as well as she did. She rarely raised her voice and only disciplined us after a clear series of warnings.
She also found ways to give us good experiences although she had limited resources at her disposal. We visited the library regularly, which was especially important to me. My mom loves to read, and that love is part of her legacy to me. She arranged wild sleep overs, took us to the park, and taught us to make simple arts and crafts.
She always made Christmas special. Our Christmas tree was covered with an ornament collection we kids had made instead of ones bought at the store. One year we drew huge Christmas murals on pieces of butcher paper, and she hung them above the kitchen table. Another year we made gingerbread houses out of school milk cartons she told us to save. We used graham crackers and decorated them with candies she'd gotten on sale. Once she got a huge peppermint stick and let us take turns whacking off pieces with a hammer. We just thought it was fun; we didn't know it was all she could afford at the time.
I think I ended up with a better childhood than some others I know. We might have lacked material things, but we were rich in what really matters. We had joy, laughter, love, and a sense of fun -- Thanks to my mom.
My mom's not the only one. If you make a list of things you or the moms you know do, it's enough to make you pass out!
They feed babies in the middle of the night.
They change diapers.
They fix boo boos.
They drive their kids to ball practice.
They sew costumes for Halloween and school plays.
They buy groceries and cook dinners.
They nurse the sick.
They balance work and home.
They sit at thousands of ball games.
They wipe tears and offer a listening ear.
They give advice.
They get yelled at and taken for granted.
They manage to let college freshmen leave home.
They cry at weddings and sit in hospital waiting rooms.
They always answer when you call and usually think to call you long before you call them.
You get the idea. I'm not a mom, much to my sorrow. However, I do have a mom, and though she isn't perfect, is a pretty good mom to have. I can say that in all we've been through as mother and daughter, I've never doubted that she loves me.
Many of my friends are moms too, and they amaze me. I don't know how they do it.
I know it's not Mother's Day, but let's be honest. Shouldn't every day feel like Mother's Day for the great moms out there? I think so, and I'd like to say thanks to all the moms I know. I appreciate you.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
Image Credit: http://www.maracadrinks.com/kids-slushies/
We'd say, "What are they?"
"Cherry, orange, grape, lime, punch, and strawberry. What kind do you want?"
"Um. Uh...orange. No, grape. No. What are the kinds again, mama?"
She'd tell us again, "Cherry, orange, grape, lime, punch, and strawberry."
We continued to have that same conversation over and over again for several minutes. There were four of us, so my poor mom would have to repeat the flavor choices many times, yet she never lost her patience.
Sometimes we'd be fighting in the car, and she would say, "Y'all, I'm losing my patience." For some reason this statement always made me think of a dwindling supply of watercolors. I suppose because the word 'patience' sounded like 'paint' to me. Looking back now I realize that even though my mom said she was losing it, she never really did. I find myself amazed that she managed the rambunctious chaos of four small children as well as she did. She rarely raised her voice and only disciplined us after a clear series of warnings.
She also found ways to give us good experiences although she had limited resources at her disposal. We visited the library regularly, which was especially important to me. My mom loves to read, and that love is part of her legacy to me. She arranged wild sleep overs, took us to the park, and taught us to make simple arts and crafts.
She always made Christmas special. Our Christmas tree was covered with an ornament collection we kids had made instead of ones bought at the store. One year we drew huge Christmas murals on pieces of butcher paper, and she hung them above the kitchen table. Another year we made gingerbread houses out of school milk cartons she told us to save. We used graham crackers and decorated them with candies she'd gotten on sale. Once she got a huge peppermint stick and let us take turns whacking off pieces with a hammer. We just thought it was fun; we didn't know it was all she could afford at the time.
I think I ended up with a better childhood than some others I know. We might have lacked material things, but we were rich in what really matters. We had joy, laughter, love, and a sense of fun -- Thanks to my mom.
My mom's not the only one. If you make a list of things you or the moms you know do, it's enough to make you pass out!
They feed babies in the middle of the night.
They change diapers.
They fix boo boos.
They drive their kids to ball practice.
They sew costumes for Halloween and school plays.
They buy groceries and cook dinners.
They nurse the sick.
They balance work and home.
They sit at thousands of ball games.
They wipe tears and offer a listening ear.
They give advice.
They get yelled at and taken for granted.
They manage to let college freshmen leave home.
They cry at weddings and sit in hospital waiting rooms.
They always answer when you call and usually think to call you long before you call them.
You get the idea. I'm not a mom, much to my sorrow. However, I do have a mom, and though she isn't perfect, is a pretty good mom to have. I can say that in all we've been through as mother and daughter, I've never doubted that she loves me.
Many of my friends are moms too, and they amaze me. I don't know how they do it.
I know it's not Mother's Day, but let's be honest. Shouldn't every day feel like Mother's Day for the great moms out there? I think so, and I'd like to say thanks to all the moms I know. I appreciate you.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
Image Credit: http://www.maracadrinks.com/kids-slushies/
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