Mother of the Year

Of all the Mother’s Days I have had there is one that sticks out in my memory the most. I believe it was 1973 and I had my daughter Christa who was two and my twin daughters Kelly and Nealy who were 7 months and I was one busy Mom! The twins had been in the hospital more than they had been out in their 7 months and Christa was admitted twice for surgery. Just about the time I would get settled on a schedule one or both of the twins would go into the hospital. By the time they were discharged from the hospital they, like most infants, had changed so again we had to establish a new “norm”. Within that same year we had gotten into two car wrecks, neither one was our fault and had our car stolen off the church parking lot. It makes me tired just thinking of it! A man once sarcastically asked Larry, “where is your God that he would let all of these things happen”? Larry simply said, my girls recovered from their illnesses, we survived two wrecks that could have killed us all and our car was returned unharmed! He didn’t stop the storm, he held our hand as we went through it.


The reason Mother’s Day sparks all these memories is because this particular year they were giving out a “Mother of the Year” award! I’m sure that as people watched us drag our little brood to church they gave me the sympathy vote, but, none the less, when the award was announced, it was me who won! I can’t remember what I won but it was the encouragement that was the best part. I’m sure I wasn’t the best mom in the church, or for sure not the best dressed since every outfit I owned had spit-up on each shoulder. My house took no awards for being the cleanest, nor did I have a glow of spirituality but my church and my Lord gave me the affirmation that day that we were not alone through these harried times. We were where we were called to be and I was blessed to be Mom to these beautiful baby girls!


If you are a harried mom of toddlers, a worried mother of teens or have grown children that keep you on your knees I so dub you “MOTHER OF THE YEAR!” Remember to look up from your busy life and see people cheering you on and don’t forget that God has a plan for your children and for you!


Happy Mother’s Day!