My Mom is...

Happy Mother's Day!  I am a mom of two kids who are now ages 5 and 7.  So Mother's Day of course has meaning for me as a mom.  But this day brings about much reflection and gratitude for me as a daughter.  Tonight I have been thinking of my Mom and how she is the person who has held the most influence in my own life.  You would just have to know her and spend the day with her to really picture who she is.  And you would be aware of her true self right away.  My mom is real.  With everyone.  And I am thankful for that!

Mom, thank you.  I love you!  Here are some of the things that cross my mind as I think about how "My Mom is..."

The one who has always encouraged me to try anything that I am interested in exploring!  It may not go quite as planned but you never will know unless you try and you'll learn lots along the way! 

A HARD worker!  She has always demonstrated to me that if you want to make something happen, get started!  Especially with taking on home/property projects, there was never any sentiment that my Dad wasn't getting it done.  Rather that he was at work and we might as well go ahead and see what we could handle in the mean time.  He could always bail us out later, if need be.  Lucky guy, right??  Thankfully my mom is very skilled!

Creative. And energetic. And has reserves that I can only begin to imagine!  We especially see this now that she is a grandmother of six who are currently ages 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8!  My mom is like the Pied Piper and each one of the kids is crazy about her!

Deeply faithful.  She is loyal in all that she does and is unquestionably a woman of her word!  My mom is a top-notch teacher.  When I was younger she taught my Missionette group and set many Bible verses to music.  I memorized so many that way and they are still with me today.  What a blessing!  Today when I call her for perspective and advice, she always goes back to, "What does Scripture say about this?"

Not much older than me!  I arrived when Mom was just 16 years old.  I am incredibly grateful that she and my Dad are very much in love and still going strong after 36 years of marriage!  By God's grace, they have beat the odds and are a great encouragement to all who know them.

A horse girl at heart!  Mom sold her pony when I came along.  By the time I was 8 years old she had talked Dad into riding lessons for us girls.  The next year we bought a horse and boarded him nearby.  The year after that we bought a farm and this is the place that my parents still call home today!  

Courageous and not at all bitter.  When I was a senior in college we almost lost my Mom due to a drunk-driver who crashed into her and my Dad.  She spent a long time in the ICU down in Pittsburgh and for awhile it was unknown whether she would walk again?  She has made an amazing recovery through lots of hard work and God's healing hand.  Back when all of this happened, her response was never "Why me?" but rather "Why not me?"  That was quite a winter!  Two months after the car accident, Dad slipped on the ice and broke bones for the first time in his life.  My parents were a sight during that season.  And they were only ages 39 and 40!  I don't know what we would have done without some faithful friends who helped us all through that time in our lives!  

Home.  The place where my Mom is will always be "home" for me.  There is nothing like taking my kids there with me.  They will  probably definitely wind up pretty messy!  And when it is time to go they will be far off on an adventure with Grandma.  But she will have already packed a snack for them to enjoy on the road back home.  There will be hugs and chaos as we get into the car.  And as I pull down the hill of their driveway and out onto the highway, there are oftentimes a few tears.  Mom, I love you!  Thank you for everything.  I can't imagine my life without you.