Bittersweet Mother's Day

Today in our church, my son read a letter to his mother for Mother's Day. I could not have been prouder of him for writing it or my wife for inspiring him. I am blessed to have married such a great woman and a good mother to my two children. However, Mother's Day is just a little bittersweet for me.

My mother passed away over five years ago and I miss her dearly everyday. However, Mother's Day makes me pause and think about her just a little more. My mother was an amazing woman and I am so proud to be her son. If she were still alive I would have taken her out for lunch and given her a card, instead I reflected on all she gave me.

My mother gave me an appreciation of living a principled life. Mom was guided by her faith. Faith in God was the compass that guided her, that was the guiding principle that she instilled in my sister and I. Not only did she make sure her children knew God but she passed it on to many others through teaching Sunday School and living her life as an example.

Appreciating the blessings in my life was another gift I received from my Mother. She was an incredibly thoughtful, educated woman who knew what she wanted from life. My mother appreciated the simple things in life and I believe she lived a more fulfilled life because of that appreciation. Mom knew true happiness was not things and money, but rather the simpler things like relationships with those around you and living a God centered, principled life.

I could go on for many more paragraphs and pages about the things Mom gave me. However, I will finish for now by saying that she blessed me with the guidance to know how to live my life, the confidence to live my life that way and the ability to appreciate the everyday blessings that make my life so incredibly rich.

I live my life each day trying to be the person she was. I know that if I can be just a fraction of the great role model she was, I will have been a success. Mother's Day is a day to pamper the Mothers in our lives and lavish them with gifts, but the real gift is the day we, as children, realize the gifts we were given on Mother's Day. Thanks Mom.