Ethyl Kennedy Rose Garden. Tralee Ireland Photo by Taylor Johns
He created me,
She carried me to life:
Powdered and pink
Dressed to delight
Nurtured, sheltered and adored.
She showed me what life is:
Peanut butter on celery
Something from nothing.
Eggs on toast
Ducks In a wading pool
Sour made sweet.
She modeled for me— the life I was born for:
Kindness and compassion
Selflessness and serving
Encourager of others.
God focused.
She moulded my life,
He made it eternal.
Mom of girls, she never tired of creative pursuits and girly gatherings.
She was the ultimate homeroom mom, the creator of individual marshmallow santas on popcorn ball sleighs, complete with candy cane runners. Cooking, baking, crafting.
Sewing matching dresses for us, she somehow made them look better than the department store models. Dresses we couldn’t afford.
She was the realistic embodiment of the Proverbs 31 woman. That woman was superhuman. But the human example my mother set for me is invaluable, though I despair to keep up.
My mother was not perfect. She would cringe for me to paint her so. Though, I never doubted for one moment that I was fiercely loved, always and forever desired.
As a mom of boys I had to learn to participate in other activities than those of my pink ruffled past. Frog catching, bug gathering, and slimy fishing worm skewering. I still shudder at the fish gutting, but I never let them see my green disgust.
Hours of soccer playing, and baseball throwing. (Though I was later banned from the throwing when, to my baseball playing husband’s horror, he realized four-year old Luke was throwing like a girl!) Hmmfff!
To say there were no raised voices, no doors slammed, no angry tirades, no counterblasts would be untrue.
To be a mother is great joy mixed with toil, sorrows, despair, anger, and tears.
But despite my imperfection, I think my boys would say they never doubted that they were fiercely loved, always and forever desired.
God’s great love for them, covers my mountains of mistakes on their rock-strewn path to Godly manhood.
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Read all of Prov 31- Below is an excerpt:
v 10 Who can find a wife of noble character? For her value is far more than rubies… She opens her mouth with wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the ways of her household… Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also praises her: “Many daughters have done valiantly, but you surpass them all!” Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised. Give her credit for what she has accomplished, and let her works praise her in the city gates.
-Who do you know that embodies this woman?
-Pick one thing to work on this week in your journey to be like her?