Motherhood is a noble profession and a sacred responsibility. As a mother, you are the most important person in your child’s life. Without in any way diminishing the role or importance of the father, it is the mother who has been created to be the loving, nurturing figure in her child’s life. Once children reach school-age, teachers and coaches play a primary role in their lives. Many mothers assume their role is not as vital as it was during those earlier years, but that is a fallacy. The older a child gets, the more vital it is to continue to be available. Mom remains the most important person in the life of her child, regardless of what society, or her child, say to the contrary! Our challenge as mothers is to realize that until our children have “left the nest” and established homes of their own, we are the most important person in their lives.
I am the proud mom of three exceptional children: Christopher, 24; Matthew, 22 and Elizabeth, 18. Regardless of any success I may enjoy in any other realm, the privilege of raising these three precious children and having the joy of seeing them grow into the exceptional people they are is my most treasured accomplishment. When my 24-year old son emails his thoughts on a scripture he read, it absolutely thrills my heart! That being said, I did not do it alone. Much of the credit must go to my loving, involved and supportive husband, Alex. Of course, I thank God every day, not just for this incredible gift, but also for His daily (moment-by-moment, really!) support, guidance, strength, wisdom and mercy.
And for those of you who are not moms – but have moms, know moms, or someone who has been like a mom to you – I encourage you to honor them. Let me share some quotations on motherhood I hope will bless you:
All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother. Abraham Lincoln
Making the decision to have a child – it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. Elizabeth Stone
Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother. Lin Yutang
Mother is the name for God on the lips and in the hearts of little children. William Makepeace Thackeray
Mothers reflect God’s loving presence on earth. William R. Webb
Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the Promised Land. She prepares a world she will not see. Pope Paul VI
When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. Sophia Loren
My mother was the making of me. Thomas Alva Edison
A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to make leaning unnecessary. Dorothy Canfield Fisher
The phrase “working mother” is redundant. Jane Sellman
The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. Rajneesh
Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease. Lisa Alther
The formative period for building character for eternity is in the nursery. The mother is queen of that realm and sways a scepter more potent than that of kings or priests. Author unknown
Contrary to the prevailing opinion today – both parents are very important and play a critical role in successfully raising healthy, stable children. If you are a single mom or dad, I salute you. You are performing a monumental task by yourself. But remember that you are not alone – God, our heavenly Father – is always with you and your children.
So, Happy Mother’s Day!
