Lucky

Happy Mother’s Day!  Today is the day that we traditionally celebrate our moms.  As such, I have asked a good number of people from all walks of life to send me a remembrance of their mothers. 

First, I did not expect many responses because that is how requests like this usually work (or don’t work, I guess).  Second, most people just do not share too much information about their personal lives because someone might share their words in print.  But one thing is sure, with the responses that I have received, each of the writers seemed to share one thing in common.  Each seemed to believe that they had been chosen as the lucky child that had the best mom ever.  But we all know that everyone can’t be that lucky.

Today I started the day at the Simple Service.  It’s a come-as-you-are church service that is deaf-friendly in that the chapel is small enough that I can typically read the minister’s lips from the silent pew.  Even better,  the minister is kind enough to share his lecture notes so that the if lip reading is difficult, the topic is somewhat explained in print. 

It was a good service.  Not only did the minister prepare a wonderful message highlighting women of the bible, but he also shared a story about his Mom.

My mother was an inspiration, he said, always working behind the scenes at church, leading Sunday School, inspiring lives. She made visits to neighbors in nursing homes, gently applying lotion to dry skin, and comforting the infirm.  Mom was a midwife to the next life…she would often sing to people as they passed.  She was indeed an inspiration.

His shared story made me realize how lucky the minister felt to be blessed with such a mother. So, on my return home from church and brunch with Mom, I sent a message to various friends and relatives to ask for a remembrance of their mothers.  Here are a few reflections:

My mother sacrificed a lot for her kids.  I remember her cooking potato soup and then sitting at the table with us as we ate.  As I got older, I realized that she didn’t eat at all.  She would go without eating to make sure that her kids had enough.

My mother was very funny and always laughing.  She gladly took me and my friends to wrap a house when I was fifteen.  It was her form of therapy after a boy broke my heart…

Mom would play the game of ‘spoons’ with the grandkids teaching them to be ultra-competitive.  She even teased that she “sharpened her nails” in preparation of a hopeful victory.  It was a sight to behold…

Mother had distinctive laugh.  I remember her always teasing with her six sisters and I would enjoy hearing her distinctive laughter.

I’ve never been one for nail polish, but on her deathbed, Mom wanted to do one thing for me.  She wanted to polish my nails.  She barely had the strength to complete one hand.  And now I tear-up every time my nails are polished because I think of all the things that she did for me and my siblings.

Mom was teaching flying lessons and decided to take a student on his cross-country certification to Oklahoma (she wanted to have lunch with her parents).  They served cantaloupe at lunch, and she thought that it gave her great stomach pains.  Well…it was me, two months early…  I was born that night in Oklahoma.  (I have always been impatient.)

One time about forty years ago I had just bought a house.  Mom and one of my aunts went to my house while I was at work and put everything away in the cabinets and made my beds.  When I made it home, I walked into a completed house.  She was loving, caring, and strong-minded.  I was upset with them for working so hard, however, I could not be upset with their accomplishments.

She was somewhat of a perfectionist.  She was a very bright and nurturing person who challenged my sister and I to do our best at whatever we did.  She broke many barriers for women in her profession…. helping me to be sensitive to the challenges that women face that I might otherwise not have been aware of.

Mom did not care for squirrels sharing our backyard.  She was a champion squirrel catcher.  She transitioned from ‘squirrel stew & nail their tails to the fence as a deterrent’, to a ‘catch and release’ program in her gentler years. 

This photo of a mom along with a wonderful caption…

‘Strength is not measured by how much weight you can lift.’

Mom never cared much for the social scene.  One day she decided to take off her bra at the Women’s Leadership Gala while seated at the head table.  She always was ahead of her time…

Mother was my best friend.  I talked to her every day and now I miss her every day.  She was a good mother who was always there for me. 

I know that whatever I do I will always have her unconditional love and support!  She has always been there for me, and I don’t know what I would do without her.

From Christmas decorations to birthday dinners to last minute gatherings, she always seemed to make everything special while making it all seem effortless.  Those things were special, and she made you feel special being with her.

One of the greatest compliments that my mother ever gave me was when she said, “you are a greater mother to your kids than I ever could have been to you and your siblings.”

Wow, there are really great Moms out there!  And here are some thoughts about Moms that have inspired me recently:

There is a mom that got up early to drive three hours yesterday so that she might visit her oldest child for a few hours, knowing that she would have to make the return trip the same day.

Or the mom that has spent more days at the children’s hospital in the last few months than most people will ever endure in a lifetime.

After he moved in with his parents to help care for them, my friend’s mom switched roles with him when was diagnosed with ALS.

A mom who has grieved at the loss of an unborn child while continuing to share her love with a toddler.

The mom in my family who raised two adopted children and has now shown generations what a mother’s love can be…

And a sister who stepped in when her own mother passed away to help raise her younger sister.

All these inspiring women and the wonderful lessons that they have shared made me think about one year ago.  Last year on Mother’s Day, I posted the picture of me and my mom that is included with the title of this reflection.  And along with the picture, I posted these words…

Happy Day to the mom who tried not to laugh as my teachers described my antics.

Thanks for standing with me then…and now!

What none of you saw was the private response that my mom sent to me…

I’ll be there for you as long as I’m here.  And, you are funny, you know!

And therein is a lesson that I shall never forget… A mother’s love is everlasting.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!  I love you!

Thanks for listening to the luckiest son around,

KBM

Kevin Medlin
kevin@mysilentpew.com