Mother's Day

Warning: This starts our very negative, but ends up positive.



When does a woman become a mother? Does she become a mother at the moment the baby comes out from it's initial growth place, her womb, and is placed into her arms all slimy and wet, but the most beautiful sight she's ever seen? Or does she become a mother as soon as she knows that there is a baby within her body to be nurtured for 9 months until she can actually hold that child.

I believe she is a mother when she learns that she is carrying that child within her.

Now to my epistle for today.


Mother's Day is this Sunday. I really never liked Mother's Day. At church mom's with the largest families, the newest baby, the most grandchildren, etc., were given plants, and I sat there -- no category applied to me, and I would go home flowerless.

My first mother's day, my husband did nothing -- no gift, no card, no taking me out to dinner, nothing. He reminded me, I wasn't his mother, so I shouldn't have expected him to give me a card or anything. Needless to say, I wasn't pleased with his response. Alan is a loving husband, but on this issue we disagree.

So, Mother's Day for me wasn't a celebration until the children were old enough to make me something in school or remember on their own that there was, in fact, a day set aside to celebrate mothers. My children have, for as long as I can remember, made me feel warm and fuzzy on Mother's Day.

I didn't even realize that Mother's Day was coming up this year until my middle daughter invited herself and her family to visit me on their way home from Georgia to celebrate the day. Then, what a wonderful surprise I received yesterday, as my youngest called and offered to take me out to eat. Wow!

Actually, since my own children have grown up, they have been very good about celebrating Mother's Day and Father's Day with us. I am, after all THEIR mother. And my precious son does honor his wife on this day set aside for Mother's (as well as me) just to thank her, if nothing else, for the four precious children God gave to them.

You see, that's what I think Mother's Day is. It's a time to honor mothers, whether it's yours or your children's mother. It is an honor, bestowed by God, to be a mother, and it's wonderful for others to recognize that honor as well.

As I'm writing this, it has hit me. What does it matter whether anyone else honors ME ( is it all about me?) on Mother's Day. God has HONORED me by giving me three wonderful children, and now 12 precious grandchildren. So, I'm blessed, and I'm happy just to see the whole group of children/grandchildren on that day.