“Once you’re a mom, you’re always a mom. It’s like riding a bike, you never forget.” ~ Taraji P. Henson

My mother was always the quiet type. She much preferred to remain in the background cheering, rather than to be in the spotlight being cheered. Though she was never the first one to speak up, or introduce herself, she never shied away from speaking into your life! She was known far, and wide for her incredible cards (with multiple underlines, exclamation points, and all caps for emphasis, and writing well beyond just the space given, but venturing into margins like a maze you had to carefully follow until she completed the message intended for you). Whatever the occasion; be it accomplishment, tragedy, or just because the Lord brought you to her mind, you would count yourself blessed to receive one of her hand written cards in the mail when you least expected it. She might be quiet to those she didn’t know, but may the Lord help you if you ever spoke unkindly about one of her kids. I remember so many times she would call at the most inconvenient times, and I wouldn’t want to answer the phone, but I would say “One of these days I’m going to miss these calls”, AND I DO!!!!!! (just for you mom! LOL)

My mom is not physically dead. She lives with my dad in a memory care facility. Mom has late stage Alzheimer’s Disease, and dad has Louie Body Dementia. (Trust me you cannot even make up the kind of conversations we have had that resembles something between “Charades, Name that Tune, Who’s Telling the Truth, or What’s my line”). I have watched how Alzheimer’s has stolen pieces of my mom each time I visit her. If I ask her, her name she laughs, and babbles something that resembles my 18 month old grandson. If I ask her who I am. . . .the same thing. Though she cannot tell you her name, or mine . . . she KNOWS I am someone she loves. How? The Power of a Mother’s Love! Yesterday, as I visited her for Mother’s Day to give her a gift before I leave town, she chose to give me one instead. I leaned over to kiss her when I was leaving, and said “Momma, I am so grateful God gave me the gift of having you as my mom. I love you more than you’ll ever know.” Then, as clear as I have ever heard her say in these last days she said “And I certainly love you”, and she took my hand, and pulled me in for a kiss. Oh God, how I miss one of my greatest Cheerleaders, Prayer Warriors, and Comforters that I’ve ever had in my life! Thank You God, for the gift, and power of a Mother’s Love triumphing over the Alzheimer’s disease one more time!

 “I remember my mother’s prayers, and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” ―Abraham Lincoln

If you ask me about my mom, I could tell you lots of stories, quips, memories of things she did, and said throughout my life. However, the greatest is the example she set for me that is seared into my memory, and has made the greatest impact in my life for 57 years. It is waking up every morning, and seeing her sitting with her Bible open, pen in hand, studying, marinating, and taking audience with the King of Kings ~ Jesus Christ! Thank you mom for the example you set, the unconditional love you shared, and the encouragement you gave. Though I know you won’t hear this message, or understand it if you did, I want you to know your Love has been one of the most powerful influences in my life! Happy Mother’s Day to one of the Greatest!

The challenge for me, and you my friends on this Mother’s Day is. . . “What example do I want my kids to remember from my life?” There is a song by Stephanie Gretzinger that sums it up perfectly for me.

Let my children tell their children
Let this be their memory
That all my treasure was in heaven
And you were everything to me

No one ever cared for me like Jesus
His faithful hand has held me all this way
And when I’m old and grey
And all my days are numbered on the earth
Let it be known in you alone
My joy was found