Mother's Day From Many Angles

Tomorrow, mothers everywhere will be honored; from sun up to sun down. Then all the rush will be over, the rush for that last minute Mother’s Day card, the gift, food to be cooked and all those texts and emails that will be sent out all day with Happy Mother’s Day greetings.

I’ve thought a lot about Mother’s Day the past couple of days. My daughter waits anxiously for her firstborn (and me too!!!). She could quite possibly become a new mom by the end of the day tomorrow. Or we wait another week. I went to visit my own mom today who lives in a nursing home. I think about her a lot, remembering my younger years and how well she took care of me and my brothers. The relief of knowing she’s taken care of everyday is shadowed with sadness that her younger years are behind us. 

I think of all those who long to be moms and aren’t, and those who don’t want to be moms, yet are. I think of all those children (young and grown) who lost their moms prematurely or moms who lost a child, and celebrating Mother’s Day is only a painful reminder. I hope and pray the sting of that loss will be lessened tomorrow.

I know there are moms who are celebrated by their husbands, leading their children by example in honoring their wives on Mother’s Day and it’s a joyful day. I also know there are moms whose husbands don’t model that quite so well and mothers might be left feeling a little unappreciated. There is a God who understands and you can turn to Him to fill that and any other disappointment there may be.

You might be that adult child searching the rows of Mother’s Day cards trying to find the perfect card to express how deeply grateful you are for your mom. But then you might be the adult child who searches through all the cards to find one not so genuine, less mushy and loving because that just isn’t how your mother-child relationship is. I know that God can and will fill that void of frustration and hurt. 

The one I think of the most though, is the single mom. Celebrating Mother’s Day as a single mom can be one of the most endearing, humbling, bittersweet, melancholic, joyful, sad, exhausting, fearful, happy, thankful, regretful, hopeful day for you. I believe you have the hardest job ever! Even if you are blessed with strong family support, when you turn the light out at night, it’s just you and your child(ren). Know that the Lord is as near as your next breath and all you have to do is say His name.

For ALL of us moms, from whatever angle you're viewing Mother's Day from, whether good, bad, sad or happy; my deepest hope and prayer is that tomorrow, Sunday, May 11, 2014, will be a day full of contentment, peace, hope and joy. Let's all look upward in confident trust that the God who made us moms, and the God who gave us a mom, is greater than each and every circumstance. Here's to you all: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

Terri

Dream World

I over commit myself. I make ridiculous to-do lists that are humanly impossible to complete. While in the middle of my frenzied schedule, I sink into deep thought about how and when and when and how I’m going to do it all. My husband will ask, “are you in Terri’s world?” I want to snap out of that stressed-filled world because it inevitably brings on a come-apart melt-down leaving me sleep deprived, foggy-brained and not wanting to do anything at all. Does anyone out there relate to what I’m saying?

There’s another dimension to “Terri’s world.” It’s a world I escape to that takes me away from the over-committed world. Lately I’ve escaped to that world often (ok, daily) and wonder if it’s healthy or okay. This world I escape to exist in spring-like conditions every day, all year. In this world I control my schedule. I work when and where I want because I’m following my passion to write for a living. Not a famous living, but a simple living.

In this world the trees are lush green standing tall against a blue sky. 

Everyday. Irises never die, but stand tall, showing off as they pop open in brilliant colors of purple, blue, peach, yellow and maroon. The slightest hint of their gentle sweet aroma fills the air. Bees hum happily and thick blueberry bushes promise a bountiful crop. I have no schedule, no appointments or meetings, other than where the balmy, breeze takes me.

“Whoa!” I think to myself.  I’ve had these symptoms before. They’re worse than ever this year. Is it because of the dreadful winter we had? Is Spring Fever worse this year, more contagious? Snap out of it, Terri! But I don't want to snap out of it.

Then I slip back into this world as if it’s a dream. The temperature is 60 degrees at night and 85 in the day. The bright yellow goldfinch visits every morning and evening, and I get to be there to see him. 

In this world I’m not thinking about to-do lists and obligations. I’m thinking about how I want these long, warm days to slowly meander in and out of each other while Bob Marley sings in the background, “don’t worry…. about a thing…. every little thing… is gonna be all right.”

I existed in that world on Monday and was sitting in the middle of it this morning. Then suddenly I snapped out of it when I remembered the cubicle. Ah, yes, the cubicle. Today was the day I had to go back to the cubicle.

I shook it off, put away my pen and journal along with my fresh ideas for another ebook and summer book tour. My cubicle inside a stale, cold office building is waiting for me. For now, I go there. But hey, sometime in the near future that dream world just might become reality. Parts of it anyway. 

Where does your dream world take you? What are you passionate about? Are there steps you can take to bring your dream world to reality; or at least parts of it?

Maybe it’s not just wishful thinking, but something God intimately and specifically dropped into your heart so you’d pursue it.

It’s just a thought. Or is it?