On the Minister's Mind
As we approach Mother’s Day this year, I am happy that I get to spend it with my own mom. Since she lives on the west coast, we don’t often get to share this traditional day set aside to honor our moms. Typically, I send a card or flowers or something to let her know that I am celebrating with her from afar, but this year will be different.
When I think about her, I am struck by the many words of wisdom my mother has shared with me, and how she has lived by example. Her greatest wish for me and my brothers was for us to be happy. She didn’t give career advice or even help us choose our educational paths, but she taught us common sense kinds of things all the time.
In ”The Parent's Tao Te Ching" by William Martin, there is this wisdom written for parents striving to do their best in their role from a Taoism perspective - “Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is the way of foolishness. Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life. Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself.”
My own mother taught me the ordinary, everyday things that still guide my life. She taught me to take good care of my finances, to treat others kindly, to dress appropriately for the occasion but not care too much about what other people thought about it, to laugh when something is funny even at inappropriate times, to create a beautiful yard, to sew and mend, to enjoy meals with family, and to read every day – just to name a few. She made the ordinary come alive for me, and for that, I am grateful. She also taught me bigger things like the wisdom to stick with something until you can find a way to peacefulness, and to take a positive view of everything life brings.
AJ Willingham wrote – “Mother's Day is tricky. If you're a mother or have a mother figure in your life, you know it's nearly impossible to distill the full importance of motherhood down to one day. The most meaningful celebrations of motherhood are found in everyday moments: an impromptu phone call that lasts for hours, that first big hug after months spent apart. You can only hear ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ one day a year, but ‘Mom, I love you’ hits home every time.”
Yes, I get to be with my mom this year on this special day, but we celebrate meaningfully quite a bit as we send each other silly or poignant bits of information, discuss updates about my daughter, and share recipes and photos.
This year, although I won’t be with you all in community for Mother’s Day, you must know that I am remembering all the ways that we show each other our love and support week after week. I am celebrating YOU from afar!
Happy Mother’s Day!