For my mom

Mother’s Day has come and gone, but I still wanted to write a post dedicated to my incredible mom. Better late than never! I love my mom and admire her more than words can express. She is a woman who I aspire to be more like each day. Throughout my life my mom has stood by me through thick and thin, and she’s always been my best friend. Whether scraping my knee when I was little or dealing with a broken heart years later, my mom has always been the first to know how to comfort me and somehow make it all better. It amazes me how to this day she knows just the right thing to say to me when I’m discouraged and offers the perfect advice when I need it most.  

My mom has all the qualities I hope to have as both a wife and mother. She is kind, loving, patient, nurturing, selfless, encouraging, compassionate, generous, and so much more. She is not one to be strong-headed or forceful in her opinions, but rather, she is gentle and loving in her approach to others and sharing her views or thoughts. Her love and respect for my dad is evident at all times. I have so enjoyed watching my mom and dad's relationship through the years. Their marriage is a testimony of true love and an example of what a christ-centered relationship should consistently look like. My mom's passion for her Savior is also evident at all times. She is a prayer warrior and a faithful reader of scripture. I have always admired her discipline in waking up in the early morning hours each day to pray, read the Bible, and spend time deepening her relationship with the Lord. Each morning I look forward to getting the text message that she sends to Boyd, Erin, Sam, Bill, and me with an encouraging verse and thoughts to go along with it. She loves each of her children fervently and would drop anything in a heartbeat to be with us if we needed her.

I know I can talk to my mom about absolutely anything in the world, and she will be there to listen and understand.  She is truly a beautiful woman inside and out. I admire her deep love for animals and all living creatures. I admire her big heart, compassion, and motivation to help those who are hurting or in need in this world. I also admire her amazing cooking skills. She is quite the chef, and the delicious meals that she has prepared throughout our lives are too many to count. I can credit my love for food partly to my mom's cooking! In addition, I admire my mom’s great computer/ technology skills (as this is somewhat rare for her generation! J). She’s a pro on excel, she can download music or whip out a Shutterfly photo book like it’s nothing, and she is a whiz on her iphone. My mom is also fun to be around. I absolutely love spending time with her! Whether it be shopping together or going out to lunch, I cherish the moments we spend together.

As cliché as it sounds, in my opinion, my mom really is the greatest mom in the world. I would not change one single thing about her, and I thank God daily that he blessed me with the mother he did. Thanks for everything, Mom. I know I can always rely on you, and I love you tremendously!

Then

Now