The month of May has the distinction of hosting a national holiday, Mother’s Day.  The modern celebration was first established in 1908, by Anna Jarvis as a memorial for her mother Anna Reeves Jarvis.  She died in 1905 and a day was proclaimed to honor the sacrifices mother’s make for their children.  The rest is history.  We honor our Mom’s the second Sunday in May.

No matter our background, culture, race or creed, the one thing we all share is the gift of a Mother.  The founder of this holiday became so distraught over the commercialization of the day, she spent the later part of her life trying to remove Mother’s Day from the calendar. 

I’m glad she didn’t succeed.

I can speak from both sides of the coin: I had a mother and I’ve been one.  But the day can pierce a heart for those who have lost their moms.  The day of celebration can be a day of hurt and feeling alone.  This year will be the first Mother’s Day without my Mom.  No matter how old we are, our Mom is a central part of who we are.  Some may not have experienced the “perfect” relationship, there may be stress or strain between you, but when our Moms are gone we are left holding up the generation below us.  It’s hard.

My mom was a gentle rock of faith and goodness in our family.  My Dad was outgoing, a storyteller, a dreamer that made things happen. Mom balanced him out perfectly.  Actually, she had that touch on all five of her children.  She understood when to come alongside each of us and knew just what to say.  We didn’t always think so at the time, but she usually proved to be right.  She had biblical wisdom, always had a kind word no matter what and could bake a killer apple pie.  Her southern sweet ice tea was legendary, a drink of novelty in New York.  My dad was a college basketball coach, and the players loved to come to the house for pitchers and pitchers of the sweet iced tea.

I’m sure your mind is full of your own memories. For those of us who no longer have our moms, Mother’s Day is a day to remember and pay tribute in our heart. I’ll spend the day holding dear the unconditional love and care given to me by my mom. She was the example I needed to become who I was destined to be.

 A thank you seems shallow, yet one day not too far away, I’ll see her again and can tell her how much I love her.  And I always will.