1. She has a shining Christian testimony and an amazing love for people. My Mom is a giver. She gives all she has, all the time. Her walk and her talk match.
2. She has a hunger and a thirst to know GOD. She spends time daily in the Bible and reading Christian literature. She is always trying to gain something new from GOD’s Word, and she’s isn’t afraid to share it.
3. She has a prayerful heart. When my Mom says that she will pray about something, she really does. I’ll share something with her and ask her to pray with me, and she will, and then she’ll always remember to check back with me about that prayer request for an update.
4. She is a great communicator and listener. My Mom can carry on a conversation very well, but when it comes to listening, she is really the best. Over the years, I’ve witnessed people pouring out their hearts to her on many occasions. Sometimes, she has some wisdom to share, and other times she just offers to pray with that person about the particular situations, etc. She is one of those people that you are always glad you talked things over with her. She always has time for a friend, no matter how she is feeling. She still writes regular letters to her kids, friends and other family members. She also writes notes of encouragement to the college students and missionaries of her church.
5. She is a hard worker and takes excellent care of her family and her home. She doesn’t believe in sitting idle for very long. Her hands are always busy preparing, mending, planning, etc.
6. She is a wonderful source of encouragement. Things haven’t always been easy for my Mom, but she always seems to make the best of things. With her, there is always a silver lining. She can always see the good and see GOD’s hand at work.
7. She is a gentle caregiver to both my Grandma and on occasion my Dad. I know that it can’t be easy always taking care of someone else, but my Mom does it with such a sweet spirit. I’ve watched her sacrificially give of her time, her strength and her energy, as she daily takes care of my 92-year-old Grandma, and I respect her greatly for her endurance and tender care.
8. She knows how to be frugal and save money. This is something I am still learning through her example. I might not see the need to save bread wrappers or reuse Ziploc bags, but I appreciate her thriftiness all the same. I know there were times when money was tight, but she never complained. She just made do with what she had.
9. She has the most sincere laugh and the cutest giggle. I love it when she “gets tickled” by something and can’t keep a straight face. She cracks herself up quite often and is not afraid to laugh at herself. I love how she shares the funny things that she does. “Melanie, you’ll never guess what I did last week. I made a cake and forgot to put in the sugar...”
10. She doesn’t feel it necessary to repeat gossip. I love this quality about her. Frankly, she doesn’t like to hear gossip at all, but even when she knows something about someone, she doesn’t repeat it.
11. She doesn’t complain. I’ve seen my Mom in serious pain, limping around or crawling up the stairs because of her back, but she’ll still have a smile on her face, and she won’t complain. She’ll take a needed break when we push her to do so, but she doesn’t grumble or get depressed about how she is feeling or how something turned out.
12. She has a great sense of adventure. She likes to explore and take the less-traveled path and discover something new to her. Whether she is scouring through cook books or magazines for a new recipe, whipping through crossword puzzles at the speed of lightning or exploring a museum on her first visit, she gets a thrill out of new things, new excursions and meeting new people. She has a great curiosity for life.
13. She gets excited to see her children and grandchildren. I love how thrilled she gets when she is visited by her family. She gets down on the floor and plays with the young ones, she spends hours playing games with her older grandkids, and she is not afraid to be a kid at heart with people of any age. She loves to tease and is generally the life of the party.
14. She is a planner and an organizer, and this gift she did pass on to her eldest daughter (that’s me). My Mom plans meals weeks in advance. She shops this month for what she will need for meals next month. I don’t quite have my shopping down to a science like she does, but I am pretty organized about most things in my life --planning vacations with friends, making preparations to move, etc. I’m grateful that she taught me how to plan ahead.
15. She doesn’t know a stranger. My sister and I used to be embarrassed by the random conversations that my Mom would get into at the supermarket, the library, etc. But now, I think it is one of my Mom’s most endearing qualities. She is pleasant and kind ALL the time to everyone. Lately, I’ve been catching myself smiling at people or saying hi to them as I pass them on the sidewalk, in the hallway at work, or at the grocery store. Every time I do that, it makes me chuckle to myself because it reminds me of my Mom, and I think it a good thing to be like my Mom.
This Mother’s Day, I sadly won’t get to spend the day with my Mom in Michigan. I’ll call her in the afternoon, and we’ll have a fun phone conversation. I sent her a card, and my sister and I sent her flowers as well, but I’m still sad that I won’t get to spoil her in person on her day. However, I am delighted that I will see her in a couple of weeks. I’m really looking forward to our time together.
I love you, Mom!
“Her children arise up and call her blessed...” Proverbs 31:28
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