Happy Mother's Day

If there's one holiday out of the entire year that I REALLY like celebrating it's Mother's Day.  Christmas, Thanksgiving, and even birthdays are so fake sometimes. Those holidays are often so much about food and decorations and gifts that you haven't earned that they become very empty and shallow. But Mother's Day? Oh, it's packed full of affirmation, hard earned affirmation (my primary love language - the way I give and receive love :) Being a mother now, I relish the opportunity to reflect and give my mom her hard earned praise. And someday, I hope to be the recipient of sincere gratitude articulated through written words.

So Mom, here's to you...but first a preamble:

As I wrote out your Mother's Day letter I wondered if I was just repeating myself from last year. Do mother's ever get tired of hearing the same things? Probably not :) Surprisingly, I could only find two on my computer from previous years. The other ones were probably written in a card or email that I didn't do a rough draft first and saved. So, here are the two I found and at the end is your affirmation for this year :)

This was written in 2005

Mom,

As I teach a class on the “law,” we have covered the commandment that says “honor your father and mother…” After studying it I see that “during the earlier years of life parents shall stand in the place of God to their children” (AH 293). As Moses was to the Israelites, you were to me, and though you sacrificed so much (and still are) I returned the favor with dishonesty, ungratefulness, rebellion, and complaints. I am regretful now that I wasted those years living steadily at home to give you not only respect, submission, and obedience, but failed also to give you love and tenderness, did not try to lighten your cares, or guard your reputation (AH 293.1) As my mother, you are entitled to a degree of love and respect which is due to no other person and I just ask your forgiveness for not being the daughter God would have me to be.

Now, as the pressure and inconclusiveness of planning a wedding strain my heart and mind I am so comforted and filled with gratitude to know that you have been down that road before and I can count on you to impart your creativity, wisdom, precious time and energies to help me. “Thank you” is insufficient to express my relief to have such a mom as you to help with all the decorating, organizing and execution. Your vision impresses me so much. You have the ability to see something that’s not as though it were. This goes for your knack at decorating as well as developing us children to be who we are today. I’m sure there were times when we were young and you endured our stubbornness to eat our food, reluctance to do our chores, brattiness with each other, and rebellion with our friends. You could have been tempted to think and reinforce that we would never change, but instead you nurtured and corrected, and encouraged us to have the fruits of the spirit and the love of Christ.  As you “stood in the place of God” for me, “training me in the way I should go, when I grew up I did not depart from it.” (Pr. 22:6) Thank you for being a faithful mom, going “through the same round day after day, week after week, with no special marked results” You may not have been able to “tell at the close of the day the many little things you have accomplished. While others were dealing “with the things which must perish and pass away, you were dealing with developing minds and character, working not only for time but for eternity. {AH 233.1} Thank you for being such a great mom and cooperating with God to help me become who I am today. I owe so much to you.

                              Love,

                              Your grateful daughter

                              Happy Hopie

I think this was last year - 2012

Dear Mom,

A while ago the kids got a fever and I held them almost all day. I showed tender sympathy, compassion, prayed with them, and nursed them back to health. A couple of days later when they had recovered, I began to feel achy and hot. As I tucked the kids in I asked Omega to pray for me because I thought I was starting to get sick. She didn’t want to. I told her, “I prayed for you when you were sick. Can’t you pray for me?” She still didn’t want to. I felt so unappreciated. There have been other instances where I am confronted with the fact that kids just sincerely do not understand all that I do for them. They are absolutely clueless to the depth and height and breadth of love I have for them, demonstrated in countless ways. It makes me think of Jesus who asked the disciples to watch and pray with him and they fell asleep. “The loneliness of Christ, separated from the heavenly courts, living the life of humanity, was never understood or appreciated by the disciples as it should have been. . . . When Jesus was no longer with them, . . . they began to see how they might have shown Him attentions that would have brought gladness to His heart. . . .” {AG 163.5} And, I admit that it isn’t until now that I appreciate all that you have done for me. As I do for my children, I realize every day what you did for me and you deserve a sparkling crown and a full body massage ;) From the little things like making sure you packed extra clothes, towels, shovels and buckets to the beach, to buying us new cleats or prom dress, to instilling in us a reverence for God’s word and exemplifying the power of prayer, Mom, I owe a lot of who I am to your example and training. Thank you doesn’t even scratch the surface in communicating the depth of my appreciation.

“Then it will be found that many who have blessed the world with the light of genius and truth and holiness owe the principles that were the mainspring of their influence and success to a praying, Christian mother.” {AH 239.1}

I love you forever,
I like you for always
As long as I’m living
My mommy you’ll be

Your Hopie Doodle  

Mother’s Day 2013

Dear Mom,

It’s a quiet Sabbath afternoon and the kids are “secretly” making me a Mother’s Day card in Angel’s room, so I have a moment to write my own tribute to my wonderful mother.

I watched the sermon “The Secret Place” by David Gibbs a couple of days ago and was again impressed with the truth of the statement, “Next to God, the mother's power for good is the strongest known on earth.”  {AH 240.1} The good you have done in my life is certainly most dramatic in my earliest years of character formation, which I have thanked you for before, so this year I will thank you for the good influence you are in my life right now.

The first thing that comes to mind is that you are always available to talk to. Despite my social nature, I have very few friends. David and Jesus are really my only friends that I talk to regularly. But, aside from them, who do I call when I want to share good news with someone? YOU!! I’m so thankful that you are always there. I don’t have to worry about interrupting you at work or something because you are always available, even when you “should” be working on a project. I feel honored that you make time for me as well as all of Omega’s chatter.

This brings me to my second appreciation. I’m thankful that you invest time into my children. It’s easy for a grandmother to spoil her grand-kids with gifts, but you go beyond that and write instructive/inspiring little notes and postcards to them, and spend lots of time on the phone listening to them. I believe that is really bonding their heart to yours. Those who assist in blessing my children bless me :) When other people take time to show love to my kids, it's like they are showing love to me.

Thirdly, I’m thankful for the example of your life. I see that you spend your time and energies trying to bless others. You have the heart of a servant, and Jesus said that servant hood is the best way to imitate Him. I’ve seen this in many ways. Here are just a few: You are a real helpmeet to Jim - doing projects around the house with him and meeting his needs in so many ways. You are active in church functions - volunteering your time and talents. You give people rides generously and spontaneously, even if it means dropping what you had planned on doing. You befriend the elderly and friendless - inviting them over or helping them when they have no one else who cares about them. You try to teach the ignorant, imparting the knowledge that you have learned through the years. You invest time, money and creativity in the quilts you make giving them special touches that show individual thought for them. You intercede in prayer for those who are in spiritual danger. Overall, you just are always doing good for others in very practical ways like a modern day Dorcas.

Thank you for being a great Mom, both past and present. I love you so much.

I love you forever

I’ll like you for always

As long as I’m living

My mommy you’ll be

Hopie