Celebrating Mom

Feeling a bit reflective this Mother’s Day … In 1982, my mom passed away suddenly before my oldest child was 3 years old. None of my four children ever had a chance to know her. Having that relationship with their grandmother is a gift that my heart has always wished I could give them. I wish they could hear her laugh, watch her dance with my dad in the kitchen, drink a glass of her sweet tea, taste a cake she made from scratch, or see the love for her family in her eyes. But equally as much, I wish my mother had known my children. I wish she could have seen how awesomely gifted and wonderful they are, how generous they are in sharing their gifts with others. I wish she knew what great parents and role models they turned out to be, and how blessed her great-grandchildren are to have them. But instead of wishing for things that weren’t meant to be, I will celebrate her life this Mother’s Day. And I will remember the good things that she has passed on to me, and that I will continue to pass on to my children. I will honor my mom by thanking God for the family he gave me, for the strong bonds we have with one another, and for the legacy of unconditional love she passed down to us.