May 8, 2007: Mother's Day

“The more a daughter knows the details of her mother’s life…the stronger the daughter (The Red Tent, Anita Diamant, pg 2).” Imagine being a Hispanic woman at the age of twenty-one and your mother passing away from diabetes. Shortly after experiencing this tragic event you leave your homeland and migrate to an area uncharted by you or any of your family members. Then, with a Spanish accent, you are attempting to make it in academia and in the workforce concurrently, both of which in the early eighties was heavily infiltrated with middle class Anglo-men. I am aware that there are a lot of people who can relate to the challenges of this story, however, it affects me on a personal level because it is a brief snip-it of my mother’s life in her early twenties. Throughout all of her adversities and joy-filled moments she has sustained a strong faith and allowed God’s presence and providential care to nourish her. She has endured and simultaneously enjoyed a bountiful life. Because of who my mother is, her experiences, her faith, her unconditional love, and what she has taught me verbally and non-verbally, she is one of the most influential people in my life.

Not living at home for the past nine years I have had many women in my life whom have nurtured me in a similar way. Mother’s day, I believe, also extends to these women. It is about celebrating the women in our lives whom are our biological mothers and our spiritual, emotional, supportive non-biological mothers – surrogate mothers or mother’s in Christ.

My mother and I are very close. Since I do live far away from her it is difficult for me to give her the gift she desires most, the gift of quality time, I therefore dedicate this short article to her. Enjoy your mothers, biological or surrogate. As children we do set high expectations for our mothers, however, what we have to realize is that it is not easy being a mother and they are human! Therefore, celebrate their lives and embrace them as they are. God is intimately intertwined in these relationships.

Gratitude for my Mother

Dear Lord, today I turn to you to give you thanks for my mother. With your own gift of life, she bore me in her womb and gave me life. She tenderly, patiently cared for me and taught me to walk and talk. She read to me and made me laugh. No one delighted in my successes more; no one could comfort me better in my failures. I am so grateful for how she mothered me and mentored me, and even disciplined me.

Please bless her, Lord, and comfort her. Help her loving heart to continue to love and give of herself to others. Strengthen her when she is down and give her hope when she is discouraged.

Most of all, Lord, on this Mother's Day, give my mother the graces she most needs and desires today. I ask you this, in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior forever and ever.

Prayer found on: http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Mothers/#Gratitude