A Note to My Mom on Mother’s Day…

You know that beautiful Footprints poem about how the Lord carried us through difficult and challenging times in our lives… 

“When you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

Well, God has carried me through many difficult and challenging days in my life (and many absolutely beautiful ones too), but today, I’m calling it a joint effort. You see, there are two other people that have never left my side and have carried me through many of the ups and downs of life… my beautiful and loving mom and dad. 

I am truly blessed with amazing parents. Over the years, they have carried me physically, emotionally, spiritually, and every way that one can be carried in this life. 

Am I saying that my parents are like God?  Well, no and yes.  There is nothing and nobody as pure as God.  We are all human, after all.  But, I am often reminded that I am an amazing mother, despite my daily failures.  And yet, I sometimes have forgotten to apply the same compassion, grace, and praise to my own mom. 

So today, on Mother’s Day, I am reminiscing on the many times that she has “carried me” through my life and I am sending out a thank you to her for being not only my mom, but also my friend, my protector, my provider, my support system, and my biggest cheerleader…

Thank you, mom, for waking up early and driving us to a different town each morning just so that we would go to a good school. 

Thank you for working so hard, ignoring critical voices, when you knew that without that extra income, the private school we went to would be out of reach financially. 

Thank you for always making my room extra pretty when I was little and adding special touches that you knew I would love. 

Thank you for holding me when I was sick through the night, even though you knew it meant that you would be sick too. 

Thank you for finding ways to lift me up when going to a new school was rough and it felt like nobody liked me. 

Thank you for driving over eight hours roundtrip to help me buy my first car, a 1988 Honda CRX. 

Thank you for trying to teach me how to cook, even though it didn’t stick (well, except to the pan).  I still love you for trying. 

Thank you for all the campfires, the camping, the river swimming, and the trip to Disney, where I’ll never forget eating 29¢ McDonald’s hamburgers for days! 

Thank you for following close behind me, protecting me (and later laughing with me), while I rode my motorcycle on the highway for the first time and was terrified of going over 40 mph.

Thank you for always checking up on me when you knew that my silence meant that I was hurting.

Thank you for reminding me that I was beautiful, even when I was going through the cycle of anger and embarrassment during our infertility journey.

The sacrifices that you made for us over the years were never appreciated enough, but they are now. 

You held me through sickness, heartache with friends, breakups, loneliness, anger, loss and more.  You reminded me that I’m a good person, a good friend, a good wife, and more recently, a good mom. 

You have been selfless in times where I have been selfish. 

You have loved me in times where I have been something far less than lovable. 

You have been a wonderful mom and I love you so much for that!

One more note about that…thank you for loving dad so much.  He is an amazing father and I’m grateful for you both.  I know that life hasn’t always been easy, but you held onto each other (and us) and found a way through the storm and I love the roots that you have given us.  There’s the famous quote that says,

“When the roots are deep, there is no need to fear the wind.”

You gave us deep roots in God, deep roots in family, and deep roots in who we are as individuals.  Thank you for that.  

Today is Mother’s Day and I love you, appreciate you, and celebrate the blessing that you are, but I hope you feel that love and appreciation every day of the year!

Love,

Your Daughter xoxo