In Honor of Mother's Day

Clear recognition of our mother's sacrifices and influence come in the later years of our adulthood. I say this because, being a mother myself, I am still waiting for that Medal of Honor.

My own mother had to wait a while to get the appreciation that she deserved from me. I know that I disappointed her many times growing up with some of the choices that I made. But the really special thing about my mother is that her glass is always half-full.

It is our mothers who teach us what giving is really all about. My mother sewed beautifully. My sister and I always had nice clothes.

One Christmas when we were very young, Bev and I got sock monkeys that she made. I swear to this day, that she sewed those sock monkeys behind a newspaper, so that we couldn't see what she was doing.

One thing that I remember well and have always appreciated, was that my mother made me a prom dress. It was a very busy time hauling cows and Mom was sewing most of the dress by hand while riding in a cattle truck. She also made my wedding dress. It cost $38.00 for the material but the workmanship was priceless.

Mom was a pretty good sport about Dad and his interests. She didn't like to ride or fish, but she would go along and take a book. The only thing that Dad could not convince her to do, no matter how hard he tried was to participate in the Wild Cow Milking Event at the Frontier Days Rodeo. She was not going to run after a cow with a pop bottle no matter how lucrative the prize was.

My sister and I learned to cook from my mother. The first year was fish sticks and jello and a few other simple things. I still the cookbook that we learn to bake cookies and cakes with.

I learned to make pretty good biscuits, but on one occasion, as I was taking them out of the oven, all of the biscuits slid off the pan and onto the floor. There were three brother and a dad walking up the drive with the expectation of a hot dinner any minute. Mom just started scooping them up and whispering, they will never know the difference.

Back in the day, a mom was pretty happy to get breakfast in bed, a homemade card and possibly a flower or two. Sadly, Mother's day has become another one of those "BIG SALE DAYS".

I am pretty sure that most mothers would rather have you spend time with them or mow their yard or fix something around the house instead of diamonds.

I read an essay years ago about how Mothers pray with their eyes open. We know from true events how this is very true. Our desire to protect our children from harm sometimes makes it difficult to let them go. But we do and we continue to pray and worry as they grow up.

Motherhood is sometimes a thankless job. Lets face it, if your child was a teenager when they first came into the world, no one would want to be a parent.!!!

The decision to be a mother is a lifelong choice. You don't get pay raises, you can't quit when things get tough or when a child throws up on you. Retirement from motherhood is unheard of, it is just that the job description changes somewhat.

So in recognition to one of the hardest jobs in the world, let us honor our mothers who have loved us best. If your mother has passed from this life, look around for another mother who has no children to honor her on Sunday.

The values and life lessons that our mothers have taught us should be reflected in our every day lives. How we speak to one another and how we treat our fellow man should be something that will make our moms proud.

My Mom's glass will continue to be half-full. She has retained that optimism about life that most people lost a long time ago in this crazy world. She will delight you with her laughter long after a funny story has been told and she finally gets it. Or maybe she still doesn't understand, but will laugh anyway.

Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you!