TheWRITEaddiction.com

A January Mother’s Day

This week we are paying tributes on the write addiction. I decided to pay tribute to my mom. I’m a firm believer in giving a person their flowers while they are alive to receive them. So many times, the person is gone before they ever knew how we really felt about them. So this week as my mom turned a year older, I began to reflect on the many ways she has blessed me and those around her. Besides the fact she gave birth to me at 26 weeks old, she has been a constant force and nurturer in my life.

My mom is witty and will have you in stiches if you spend any time around her. She is an encourager and always tries to find the positive in any situation. She speaks her mind and is not easily intimidated by others. She can hold her ground. She is kind-hearted, always wanting to help others. Over the years, she has given many a place to stay and expected nothing in return. She is an awesome cook and can fix the best Cajun dishes she’s perfected from her Louisiana roots. She is an avid organizer and keeps a clean house. She loves music and singing and complemented my dad’s passion for music and worship. She was a wonderful “help mete” to my dad for thirty eight years and also his best friend.

In reflecting on these qualities my mom possesses, I’m reminded of the many hats mothers are required to wear. We are nurturer, cook, advocate, homework helper, PTA volunteer, chauffeur, classroom mom, dishwasher, house keeper, seamstress, and first-aid administrator. On top of all these, we may also be boss, secretary, manager, CFO, president or in any number of career fields. We can multi-task and hold everything together with our family, friends and co-workers. Am I saying we don’t need help? No, not at all. I’m grateful for a husband who is a wonderful help mete to me and supporter of all my hat-wearing roles.

I’m thankful to have a wonderful mother and role model who exemplifies the “Proverbs 31 wife/mother”. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. 

If you have not already done so, take a moment and thank your mother if she is still alive. Thank those “mothers” and mentors who stepped into your life and shaped you into who you are today. Cherish the moments you have with them. You never know when it will be their last or your last. Everyday can be a “mother’s day”. Make it a great one!

~Coletta Jones Patterson