The Gift of Mom

My Mom is a very special person. My Mom is not only my heroine, she is also my best friend. I am so thankful that my being born with a physical disability did not deter Mom in any way from raising me to be all that the Good Lord intended for me to be. It is because of my Mom's love, dedication and unwavering commitment to her children that the four of us are happy, well-adjusted and successful adults who are contributing to society today.

What was the most appropriate way to honor this wonderful lady on Mother's Day? The apple does not fall far from the tree. Similar to my Mom, the simplest pleasures of life bring me the most joy. When my brother and I asked my Mom how she wanted to celebrate Mother's Day, her answer was simple. Mom wanted to attend Sunday morning worship service as a family and have Mother's Day Brunch at one of her favorite restaurants.

During the Sunday morning worship service, it is tradition at our church for all of the Moms and Grandmothers who are in attendance to stand, receive a standing ovation from the congregation, and be presented with a rose by one of the ushers. At this particular service, many people were pleasantly surprised that one lady stood up when the pastor asked if there were any Great Grandmothers in attendance.

Following the church service, we treated Mom to a delicious Mother's Day Brunch at a local restaurant. Although I had not eaten at the restaurant in a very long time, it made no difference. We experienced terrific service. No matter what entr©e each of our family members ordered, the food was excellent as always. Since our family is scattered in so many different directions, the time that we spend together as a family is becoming few and far between. In my opinion, the best part of celebrating Mother's Day was our spending time together as a family.

The loss of my maternal grandparents earlier in the year has been very sobering for me and has certainly changed my perspective. I have always believed that my Mom is a wonderful blessing from the Lord. I think that I am now so much more thankful for and appreciative of the way that my Mom continually serves her family and sacrificially puts our needs before her own countless times on a daily basis. Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Thank you so much for the ways that you lovingly serve our family. I love you!