For the Moms in my life

To the moms in my life: First, my Grandmothers because that’s where my parents learned to parent!  My Grandma Howell was a devout Christian and raised my dad that way and that made me who I am. To my Grandma Butler, she was very family oriented and raised my mom that way and taught her the meaning of family (and how to bake!!!) and that made me who I am. Then to my own mom, she insisted that I go to church, taught me the meaning of love, family, honesty (should we be lucky enough to find a dime left at a pay phone, we weren’t allowed to take it because “someone might come back for it”), responsibility (I hated this lesson because it usually just meant cleaning or babysitting). She taught me compassion – if I complained of someone being mean or unkind my mom would say “now you never know what that person has gone through today to make them behave that way, maybe their (son, daughter, mother, father) just died” this drove me nuts but now I do the same thing! – this made me who I am. For my 4 sisters who are each one amazing in their own way with amazing kids - they have all made me who I am. For my brother’s wife, Chris, because she has two of the most beautiful (on the inside and the outside) and kind daughters and kids don’t just come like that, it takes a lot of work! For my beautiful nieces who are fairly new mothers but are so patient and sweet with their children, they have made me who I am. For my mother-in-law who raised her son to be a dedicated and loving father and husband, this made me who I am.  Mostly, this is for my daughter Rachel, she taught me the meaning of loving a child continually and unconditionally even though that child is not on this earth, of having the strength to go on, and of knowing that through faith in Christ and living right, she will see that child again someday.  Rachel is one of the strongest, most dedicated moms I know because she carries on every day with a pain I cannot imagine yet always with a smile on her face. I believe she does it for her son, so that maybe he can look down and see how hard she is working to someday get to him and that makes me the person that I am. I want to thank all of these moms (and many more too numerous to mention) for being or having been in my life and for making me the mom that I am – far from perfect,  but they have all instilled something in me that has taught me to be a better parent.  It’s never, ever too late to learn how to be a better mom, no matter how old your kids may be. Mom’s are awesome – they truly do hold the future in their hands. I pray that you all have a blessed and Happy Mother’s Day! Celebrate the gift of life, the gift of children. God bless you all!

Grandma Howell before children

 

Grandma Butler before children

My mom, Martha, before children

My daughter, Rachel, before children

sisters Carrie, Jodie, Gerrie, myself, and Jen, before children

My sister-in-law, Chris, before children

My nieces Kylie and Kelly, before children

My mother-in-law, Esther - not before children but the earliest one I could find.

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