Mothers

While we may think that the SARS-Cov2 is the "mother of all viruses," it will have its day and life will go on.  A day like today is a good time to take a break from all things COVID and step back and remember the good things in this life and for the rich blessings we have received. Of those nothing is bigger than the love and sacrificed bestowed upon us by our mothers.  Every single one of us arrived in this life via a mother.  I will never know what it is like to carry an infant in my body, to have that living soul grow and develop inside of you.  From two cells that merge into one, it grows and develops into millions of differentiated units. Our development may be programmed by DNA but it is dependent on the environment in which we are raised at our mother's hand.

My arrival came one month earlier than planned.  This is not a big deal with today's medicine and technology but in 1966, I spent a few extra days in the hospital struggling for each breath.  My mother was not sure that I would survive.  She poured her heart out in prayer to God and has always instilled in me that my life was spared for a purpose, that my life was a gift from God.  Mom and I had the typical ups and downs that is typical but deep down, I retained that lesson instilled from my infancy.  I don't ever question her love. She has always made me feel special.

I am one of the fortunate ones to also have the loving influence of my mother-in-law. I met my wife in my first year of college.  I left for two years to serve as a missionary for my church and on returning, I planned a trip to St. Louis to meet this cute girl and her family.  Another boy who was interested in her caught wind of my trip and sent a dozen roses to her home the day before I arrived.  Gina's mother promptly took those roses and threw them away even before Gina saw them! If that wasn't a clear sign that this was a family I wanted to be a part of, I don't know what was.  She has accepted me as one of her one from day one.  We have been fortunate to live so close to Gina's parents through the years when we raised our children.  She taught all of them the piano.  Music has been a loving gift that will continue to live on in our family.

Thirty years ago this week, Gina and I became parents for the first time.  We were young parents for sure but we have never regretted starting our family early.  Karalee has been and continues to be such a blessing to us as have each of our children.  Watching my wife become a mother is a sacred experience.  She is a fierce protector of her brood.  She watches over them without hovering, cares for them without enabling.  All of our children learned to do their own wash, make their own lunch.  She delivers just the right mixture of self reliance while maintaining unquestionable love and devotion.  Now, seeing her as a grandma is the best.  She may have been able to say "no" to her kids but not those grand babies.  Right now we are not able to travel to see them and it is killing her.

I also would like to give a shout out to our Mother Earth.  The same world which delivers earthquakes, famines, death and disease also give us birth, blossoms, mountains, and beaches.  Sunrises and sunsets still take my breath away.  I love being outside.  I love learning about nature, biology and especially the human body.  It is all a miracle to me.  Just as I preach taking care of our human body, we also have a stewardship to care for our mother earth.

Lastly, in our theology we believe that God is our Eternal Father and that we are his children.  As such, the pattern we know on earth is mirrored in heaven.  We believe that we also have an Eternal Mother.  We know very little about her, but I am sure that she embodies all that is good, loving and caring.  I have faith that she knows about the details of our lives. My we honor all the mothers in our lives and be grateful to them all.