An old picture of my mom with my beautiful daughters! The one with glasses is graduationg from High School. Wow!

I am making preparations for a graduation brunch for my daughter Hannah and a friend asked me how I was going to make sure the food was stocked.   I responded so quickly and said, “That’s what my mom is for.”

I wonder if she really knows how much I appreciate that she is around to help me with the little things that are actually big things.  The fact that I don’t have to worry about keeping the buffet filled with food because it is something my mom would do, even without me asking, is amazing.  So here is a list of  things I am grateful for about my mom.

**  My mom has been up before the sun at 5:00 am every morning as far back as  I can remember.  This is her quiet time, her space to breathe and be with God before the day begins.  Lesson:  Make time and space for God, and it will help you breeze through your day.

** Growing up, I remember Mom making pine cone wreaths for the church bazaar.  She has worked in the soup kitchens, made quilts to sell for fundraising, and volunteered her time on various committees.  When I was in junior high and high school, we adopted a man and a woman from a senior center and went to visit them every week.  She was much more faithful than I was at the time.  Now I so appreciate all that she has taught me about the importance of helping others. Lesson: We are here to take care of each other.

** Every time my mom comes to our house, we are in the kitchen cooking.  We have a running joke though that she always breaks something when she comes.  It isn’t true, but we laugh about the time she broke a silver turkey fork while lifting out a turkey. Then she broke my ceramic cooker when she poured tap water into the hot cooker, the temperature change causing it to crack.  Lesson:  The only lesson here is who cares what she breaks-  If mom is willing to come to my house for Easter and or Christmas, and help me cook, I will never turn down the help.

** I am grateful that my mom made my wedding dress with lace and hand sewn beads.  I hope someday one of my girls will take it and have it made to fit their style.  When I was growing up, I called myself the professional ripper because I spent as much time taking out my stitches as putting them in.  Mom taught me that it is worth the time to untangle things and make them straight.  We have engaged in many fun sewing projects together.  Two of my favorite endeavors have been the double thick fleece sleeping bags made for the girls and nephews and the t-shirt quilt we made for my daughter Becca.  Lesson:  Doing crafts together is fun and creates new memories.

** When I was sick, my mom took turns with my husband, sitting by my bedside, keeping me company and walking with me through the long recovery period. Because she has been so kind to others, the people at work donated their extra sick and vacation days to her just so she could stay with me.  It was amazing to me how much unconditional love she showed to me and my family,  and I still feel it today.  Lesson:  Your children are never too old to stop being your babies

Mom is just there when I need her- to read her a new poem I am working on, to share stories about my journey to follow my passion, to help me when I am planning a graduation brunch. She is making lots of mini quiches for the graduation brunch,  because that is what my mother does.

Make your own list of the reasons you appreciate your mother and share it with her. When I look back over this list, it all comes down to one thing:  LOVE.  My mom is good at Love!

Happy Mother’s Day!