Mama,
Over the span of the last (almost) 40 years your Mother’s Days have centered around me as your daughter and not yourself. You went from a young mom to a mom of a teenager (whose big words came with an even bigger attitude). Then to a mom of a college student trying to figure out what the heck the rest of her life should hold. To a mom of not only me, but of my husband. You watched as I myself struggled to become a mother due to infertility. And now you are not only “mama” but you are “nana” of almost 5 years. You have earned that great rewarding name. As a mother now myself, I see that Mother’s Day isn’t a day for me to be self serving but a day to celebrate the family that enables me to even be called “mommy.”
The last few years Mother’s Day has been a mixed bag of emotions for me. I felt stripped of the ability to have the title of mommy that I wanted so badly. Then after 5 years of those struggles, God gave us the greatest blessing through adoption. Mother’s Day will always be an emotional time as I remember the pains, yet celebrate the victories. But all of that pales in comparison to how I feel this Mother’s Day – eternally grateful that we have YOU to celebrate. Grateful that God still allows you to be a wife, mother, and grandmother here on this earth with us.
Over the course of the last few months, I’ve watched you battle for your life. This isn’t the first time you’ve fought hard though. You’ve gone to battle for me, for your marriage, and for friends your whole life. You are a warrior. You are a woman of her word and a woman on her knees before the Lord. You are a woman of faith and joy. You are the woman I strive to be.
I’ve learned many things from you, but most of it far exceeds cooking and cleaning abilities. You’ve taught me how to be a wife, mother, friend, and woman of God. And through all of that and now the battle with breast cancer, I’ve come to realize the qualities of a life that truly matter on this earth.
“Being a wife and mom isn’t about holding a title. It isn’t even about being able to collect a flower or stand up in recognition on Mother’s Day. It is about being in the trenches of every day life, fighting battles with grace and dignity, and letting the glory of God shine through it all.”
It’s not about how many home cooked meals we can make, how spotless our house is, or even how our children behave. It is about living out a calling that God has so graciously bestowed upon us. It’s about living a life of abandon – the giving up of self to serve others and most of all God.
I want E to one day look back on his life the same way that I do. You see mistakes you made, but I only see the woman who loved a little girl more than she ever loved herself. I see a woman who worked hard and fought for her family. I see a woman who has loved her husband of 45 years and committed her life to him. I see a woman who has poured out her life for others. I see a woman who is an encourager and a server. I see a woman who is a listener and a supporter. I see a woman of exceeding faith and joy. I see a woman who is strong and brave. And most of all, I see a woman who loves Jesus.
You are the mother, wife, and woman that I want to be.
Happy Mother’s Day to the greatest woman I have the honor of callingmy “mama”…
I love you,
Jen