“Crime is down 29% every Mother’s Day,” my son informed me, leaving that warm-fuzzy feeling about how much boys must love their moms to not commit crimes on Mother’s Day.
“Must be the moms that are doing all of the crime!” He finished.
Ha!
Mother’s Day always has mixed feelings, doesn’t it? Grief over loss of my own mom. Grief for those who wish they could be moms and just can’t. Joyful gratitude for moms and their influence on society. Thankfulness for my kids giving me my own motherhood journey.
“Behind every great kid is a mom who’s pretty sure she’s screwing it up.”
– a dish towel at the mall
In soccer, stats are kept on 1. Goals scored and 2. Assisting the goals. (The “assist” statistical point is given to the last person who touched the ball before the goal-scorer got it.) The assistant to the assistant gets no credit! My boys are both midfielders. Sometimes they score goals; sometimes they assist goals; but more often than not, they are instrumental in moving the ball down the field and getting it to the right person, and their names are not even in the final list of stats, despite how grateful their teams are that they exist!
Moms are midfielders. We do all we can to get things aligned so hubbies and children alike can get all the “goals” for which they aim, and often we are barely visible… except maybe decreasing the crime rate one day a year. 😜
But one mom got my attention last week – “a mom at the base”. I don’t mean the base of a baseball field where she was running her own home-run. This mom was on the floor of the stage, “being” the bungee cord which had broken right when her daughter was about to perform.
It was the senior talent show, a replacement for the senior play which – like so much of my daughter’s junior and senior years – was cancelled in January due to Covid. Campbell Griffin (who will be drumming for Liberty University next year!) was decked out in her prom gown (Prom had been cancelled too), and ready to play a drum solo! It was such a unique act, which got more unique when her drums started to fall forward. She prevented “going out with a bang” by catching the drums in the nick of time with one hand and standing them upright with fierce prom-gown-hidden strength. However, she then had to stand holding them for them to remain upright.
I was watching from the piano on the side. I did the “mom move” of yelling to someone backstage to “come help her!” That’s when I saw the “ultimate mom move,” as a woman RAN from the back of the auditorium, leapt onto stage in a single bound (I think – but I didn’t count) and then knelt on the stage next to the wheeled platform that held the multiple drums. Looking up, she said, “Go ahead,” while she bowed her head (maybe to brace for the noise she was about to incur).
And Campbell played. Wow! Did she play! It was a great drum solo, and I hope her mom’s hearing has come back by now. My phone captured what I could from my side seat. It was too beautiful of a “mom-ent” to miss.
Of course, what I haven’t mentioned yet is that Pam Griffin happens to also be Vice-Principal of the high school. In addition, she impressively received her doctorate from Carolina University just the week before. No job is too big or too small for this impressive “doctor,” and I love her wonderful representation of “mom” (my favorite title) for the Senior Talent Show.
Whether you are scoring the goal, assisting the goal, assisting the assistant to the goal or simply cheering from the sidelines,
Whether you are playing the drums, holding the drums, paying for drum lessons or listening to the incessant drum-practice,
Whether you are the vice-principal, the newest doctor in town or a mom like me who relates to the wise dish towel above,
May you be blessed this Mother’s Day and always.
Thankful,
Terri
“The home is a place where the mother impacts every member of society, teaching them respect for authority, virtues, relational skills, compassion, honesty, and the application of biblical truth to life.”– Stephen Davey
Proverbs 31:28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
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Letters to Lindsey 
Dear Terri, Wishing you the best Mother’s Day ever! Letters to Lindsey brings me joy every time. Love, Maureen Hanratty
Awesome! So glad you enjoy! Have a blessed day:)
Terri,
Moms and grandmothers will find themselves doing extraordinary things for the children who they love.
Our daughter, her husband and their 4 children moved in with my husband and I in November of 2019 on an emergency basis. Then the pandemic hit, with the children distance learning and me working from home most of the time.
It’s noisy, chaotic and crowded, with 8 people and 5 cats (2 of theirs and 3 of ours) in what is supposed to be 4 bedrooms, but we’ve made into 6, still keeping our business office and my prayer closet/craft room, which became my home office.
While all the children know I’m a stern disciplinarian, they also know Nana’s office upstairs, even when I’m working and should be left alone, is the place to go when they need someone to listen and sympathize with their troubles, and maybe even get a little perspective on life. (On one such occasion about 6 months ago, I was privileged to lead the eldest to faith in Jesus Christ.)
Wow! What a great mama/grandma “at the base”!! God bless!
I will forever be grateful for your example as Mom, and your commitment and willingness to sharing words of encouragement and conviction! Throughout my day, when I’m surrounded by what sometimes seems 20 children (truly only 5, most of the time :), often I hear your voice. Gently, it reminds me of God’s truths in regards to parenting and being a God glorifying wife. Most of the time, it’s telling me to be grateful 🙂 Thank YOU to sincerely one of the best Moms I’m so blessed to have learned from!
It’s so fun to hear from you! And so glad you are encouraged; I know you are an encouragement to those around you always (Phil 4:4)!! 💕 Blessings! Terri