How to Celebrate Your Mom

Dear reader, 

I’m sure you might have heard but yesterday was Mother’s Day. 

I meant to write about my mother yesterday, but the day got away, so today I will attempt to play catch up. 

Dear Momma, 

I wouldn’t exist without you. I know that’s a given, but every part of who I am has been shaped and crafted by how specifically you loved me growing up. 

You taught me almost everything I know. But more importantly, you taught me how to learn and why it’s so important. Since childhood, I’ve always had a knack for learning everything I possibly can. You were the starting point for that. 

The way that I feel for people. The empathy that I have developed. You taught me that. You were very quick to always ask me “How would that make them feel?” 

I now can’t enter a situation without taking others' emotions and desires into account, which I believe is for the better. 

You saw my creativity from a young age. You saw all the doodles and sketches and wanted to read all the stories I would write even if the handwriting was unbearable. You would eagerly sit down with me whenever I would come up with a new idea for a game or a movie. After the conversation finished you would send me on my way to create what I had thought up. 

You taught me how to love. 

You taught me how to care. 

You taught me how to put others’ needs before my own. 

You taught me when it’s okay to laugh and joke and when it’s not. I’m still not the greatest at this one though. 

You gave me 10 siblings. Something I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you for. Each one is so unique yet so similar at the same time. You taught us all at our own pace, one on one, but you also taught us to not completely depend on you for all things. 

You were quick to teach us that you won’t always be there to catch us when we fall. And boy oh boy have I fallen. 

I’ve had arguments and tears-filled conversations with you. 

I’ve shared moments of uncontrollable laughter with you. 

I’ve shared the majority of my life with you. I wouldn’t change any of it. 

All the trials that have come out of our relationship have formed me and my character in ways I couldn’t have imagined. 

We by no means have a perfect relationship. But with a healthy combination of love and grace, we do pretty well. 

I don’t know how long I’ll live in close proximity to ya, every time I try to move away God keeps bringing me right back. I think I’ll take that as a sign to love you as much as I can in the meantime. 

You taught me so much about God, you would bring scripture into all of our learning and everyday life, even to the point where I knew you’d say “Blessed are the peacemakers…” before you could. Yet there is an element of my relationship with God that you helped shape. Before I could do anything I wanted to do in my days as a kid you would constantly ask “What did you learn with your time with God this morning?”

Even to this day whenever we get coffee together, (You get coffee, I get absolutely anything else.) You always ask me questions to help me see things from God’s perspective. It’s always important to discuss your life with the one who created it. 

God knew I was going to need you as my mom. That’s why He gave me you. 

He knew my downfalls. He knew how you’d walk through it all with me. 

I couldn’t ask for a better mom. 

That’s the truth.  

Happy Mother’s Day Momma Bear. 

I love you, but I don’t think I can love you as much as you’ve loved me. 

But I’m still gonna try. 

Sincerely your favorite oldest son, 

-Peter Pan, (The Boy Who Never Wanted to Grow Up)