Ode to Moms

In my 25th year of life (soon to be 26 tomorrow), I have to say that my appreciation of my mom is growing by the year. I know that not everyone feels favorably about their mothers as mother/ daughter relationships can be among the most strange in the world, but no matter the dynamics, I feel strongly that we need to appreciate our mothers more often. So what it is not anywhere near Mother’s Day! I declare whenever you are reading this blog, a time to appreciate your mom. [My mom is pictured here beside my sister and I]

Why? Well, I believe that they know you better often times than anyone else in the world. Most have instincts of service and care that are unbelievable. And no matter how you feel about them now, they’ve followed you from your first steps, to your first day of school, through the awkwardness of the teenaged years, to the first transitions of adulthood and maybe even beyond this… and all the way, they’ve been cheering you on, hoping for you to become your best person—a gift only a few people in the world can give us.

Here in my apartment, we keep a wipe board in the kitchen to write down household items we are in need of so that the next person who heads to the grocery store can pick them up. Last Monday, we added a non-traditional item to the list: MOMS. Both my roommate and I had experienced particularly difficult weekends and realized that the only thing that would make us feel better was the presence of our mother to come and take care of us for a bit. We were tired of being adults. We wanted a break from all the stress. I was lucky enough that my mom did actually get to come… five days later.

And really, it was the simple things about her visit which proved to me once again that moms are irreplaceable people in life. I mean who can pop out with a “when you were six story” and it actually be meaningful? Who can enjoy doing your laundry? Who can make homemade beef stew for dinner in a large enough quantity so that you can enjoy leftovers for days? Who can relate your current life situations to similar times in the past?

So, for all of these wonderful reasons and many more, I am thankful to have a mother as wonderful as Becky is. She is a bedrock person in my life. She listens to me ramble and complain whenever I need to (if it is not past her bedtime) and I know that she prays for me and other important people in my life on a daily basis (a prayer routine that I still haven’t gotten the hang of). Plus, she even sees being a pastor’s wife a calling (something that I think is even more honorable than being a pastor because you are expected to go to as much of church as your spouse but don’t get paid!). I wish all of you could spend some quality time with Becky Evans… if you like me, you would most certainly like her too.

So, yea for those moms who come to visit their children after bad weeks… yea for those moms who know how to go from mothering mode to friend mode depending on your need… and yea for those moms who love their children in light of their different world perspectives. I don’t want to end this blog sounding like a mushy Hallmark card or a Lifetime movie, but I have to say it: I love my mom!