Celebrating Mothers

I love seeing Mother’s Day on the calendar.

I love that there’s a special day to celebrate mothers.

But more importantly, I love all the mothers in my life.

The first being my own mother.

Only now that I’m older with kids of my own can I begin to appreciate how much she has done for me. I say “begin” because I don’t think I can totally comprehend all she’s sacrificed and worked through to raise 3 kids on her own after my father died.

I’ve tried to imagine it recently as I’ve watched the young family across the street from us. They just had their 3rd child. And I can only imagine what it would be like if within the year the father passes away. What a difficult journey.

My mom’s amazing.

Her unconditional love for her kids knows no bounds.

And I believe that’s true for most mothers in the world as well as mothers yet to be.

The other mother I cherish so much is my wife.

Traveling the wonderful adventure of parenthood with her helps me admire her more and more each day. There are so many challenges in raising children. And she’s a star.

It’s not just the time and work that manifests how much a mother loves her children. Even more than that, it’s the emotions. Riding the emotional roller coaster of motherhood takes so much energy. Yet, she keeps charging ahead.

She’s taught me so much about how to love.

And I’ll love her forever for that.

Yet, loving those two mothers is just scratching the surface when it comes to Mother’s Day.

I think of my wonderful mother-in-law, my aspiring daughter, and my compassionate sister. I also think of the wonderful women in my extended family – of caring aunts and sister-in-laws and cousins. And I think of neighbors, teachers, and co-workers who likewise have such a huge impact in this world by making a difference in our lives every day.

To mothers and mothers-to-be everywhere…

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!