Mother's Day

I look back on my first "Mother's Day" when Thomas was a baby. Henry and baby Thomas brought me to a Mexican restaurant for a wonderful Mother's Day brunch. I don't remember making a lot over Mother's Day growing up, but my parents were divorced. To make Mother's Day and Father's Day special, it is really up to the opposite parent. In our family, Father's Day fell during the Camp Blue Haven session, so I am sad that Father's Day got neglected during those camp years.

But I think that honoring days like these are important. In the Old Testament, God set aside certain times and days of the year in order that his people would remember. While today, some of these special days seem filled with commercial opportunities for companies like Hallmark, jewelers, and department stores, the meaning behind Mother's Day and Father's Day is still important.

We were with Henry's mom this year for Mother's Day. The preacher at their church brought out both the historical aspects of Mtoher's Day and the reality that not everyone has a good relationship with their moms. Linda Gregersen's blog talks about the grief of watching a large number of African babies, toddlers, and young people who will never know a mother's touch and the mothers who did not live to enjoy their children.

Mothers rock the cradle, change the diapers, feed always hungry stomachs, kiss the hurts, cheer the team, and slowly but surely work themselves out of a job. While my mom was in many ways a difficult person, she was also very dear to me. And I was fortunate, my relationship with her got easier in her later years. My mother-in-law has always been such a sweet dear person. Up until the needs of her aging husband and her own physical issues slowed her down, she was active at church, going to Ladies' Bible class, helping in any way she could. We've been lucky to spend more time with them these last couple of years. They are infinitely precious and we treasure the time we have left with them.



My "Mother's Day" was precious this year. We joined my sister-in-law, Mary and her husband for hamburgers with his mom and their children and their families on Saturday night. I got some good photos of my mother and father in law both Saturday night and Sunday. We made good memories this weekend.