Archives for May 11, 2008

Last Sunday my eighty-two-year-old mother and I took a two-mile hike out in Aman Park. The Virginia bluebells were in their full glory along the trout stream, the rest of the spring wildflowers were at their prime, and a trail my mom hadn”t walked before beckoned. Mom is a trooper, and I am blessed that, now that she is in her silver years, she still has mobility, pluck, and a wonderful sense of curiosity and wonder. She is the most amazing person–all the more so because beneath the qualities I”ve just mentioned lies a lifetime of intense, sacrificial love that has forged a wealth of character. I am greatly blessed to have her for my mother. She is so beautiful.\r\n\r\nToday, on a day when we celebrate mothers across the land, I want to share my thoughts as a middle-aged single man. I”m a fairly sentimental guy, and emotions are no stranger to me, but I find myself surprised by the feelings surfacing in me today.\r\n\r\nI”m aware that this day is a mixed bag for those of you who are mothers. For many of you, it”s marked by warmth, by the love and appreciation of your family. That is wonderful. If you are a mother worthy of the word, then you richly deserve to be honored and blessed by those who love you.\r\n\r\nBut for others of you, family warmth and celebration are not the full story, or even close to it. Some of you have husbands in word only–derelict dads who put on a good face in public but who abuse you in private. Others of you are single moms striving hard to make a life for those precious children you love so much. Some have a special-concern child–a son in prison, a daughter in Iraq. Others are fighting a long, hard fight for the life of your critically ill baby. And still others are feeling the terrible sorrow of a child you lost one year ago, five years ago, twenty years ago…it doesn”t matter how long. The heartache may lose its fresh, jagged edge over time, but it will always be a part of you.\r\n\r\nIn one way or another, I have known you all. I have watched you deal with your circumstances and stood amazed at the kind of love you”re capable of. Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? You are the most breathtaking creatures that ever walked the earth.\r\n\r\nI know you don”t see yourselves that way, at least not as individuals. Tomorrow will be just another day of hanging out the wash for you. But believe me, you are royalty–royalty in K-Mart clothes, with a sinkful of greasy dishes and a pile of laundry to contend with, but royalty nonetheless. Trust me, you are beautiful–because love is beautiful, and moms–good moms–understand the meaning of that word like no one else.\r\n\r\nSome of you have faced mothering hurdles that stem from your own mother”s inability to love you the way you deserved. I wish it could have been better for you. Today is a hard day for you in that regard. Yet you”re doing the best you know how to deal honestly and responsibly with your past and its impact on you, and to be the best mom to your kids that you know how. You are courageous. I admire you deeply.\r\n\r\nI admire all of you. You are worthy of great admiration. Those of you who have embraced the high calling of motherhood–who have allowed love for your children to shape your choices and your character in ways unique to your personalities and circumstances–are truly remarkable individuals.\r\n\r\nThere are reasons why today is not any easy one for me; it is a poignant reminder of losses in my life. For those of you who face sorrows of your own this Mother”s Day, may our Lord comfort you. My words here cannot fix what has been broken. I can only assure you that you are not alone, that your tears are not unseen, and that you matter greatly. May our Lord come alongside you today and gently console you, and in due season, grant you a serenity and healing that can come from heaven alone.\r\n\r\nTo each one of you who, at the core of your heart, is a mother indeed…\r\nwhether your life is relatively easy or a struggle…\r\nwhatever your gains, whatever your losses, whatever your circumstances…\r\nI bow to you in deepest respect.\r\nYou are beautiful. You are special. You are amazing.\r\n\r\nYou are the salt of the earth.\r\n\r\nMay God richly bless you.\r\n\r\nYour friend,\r\nStorm