May 14, 2017
Today is Mother's Day 2017. When I woke up this morning, I laid in bed for a while and thought about this day. My first thoughts turned to my own mom by whom I was blessed. She was a fantastic mom who loved her children deeply. She raised four children on her own after our father died in 1968. I was 11 years old when this happened; the oldest of the siblings, three boys, and one girl. I now know that it was not easy for her to undertake this huge task but she did it without complaint. She experienced a lot of heartache with the loss of her husband and then again in 1981 when her youngest son, Kevin, died in a car crash. Mom passed away almost 20 years ago at age 62. I think of her often and miss her very much but most of all on Mother's Day.

As I thought about my mom, my thoughts turned to my wife, Linda, who is a champion of mothers (and grandmothers). She is so nurturing and full of love for her kids and their kids. Back when our children were small, I remember coming home from work on many days to find them doing some sort of project, listening to Christian music or just playing together. Linda was right in the middle of it all and sometimes I thought to myself that she was having more fun than they were. She is the most patient and kind woman I have ever known. These days, I enjoy watching her interact with our seven grandchildren. She doesn't hesitate to play chase with them and our big dog, Napoleon around the house, get down on the floor to put together a puzzle with them, make homemade Play-Doh  or pretend she is a horse so they can ride on her back. Watching all this makes me grin and causes my heart to swell with pride.

I can easily see why our own daughters are also good mothers. Linda has been an excellent role model for them. Through this they have learned how to be good moms, to properly nurture their kids and love on them. Our girls have given us a total of seven grandchildren and it is a lot like a zoo when they are all here together in this big house we live in. Our grandkids love to visit us because they know grandma is waiting for them when they get here. When asked where they are going, the always say, "To Grandma's house!" They love me, too, but Grandma is their focus and I like that. 


By having good mothers of their own, I am confident our grandchildren will become good parents someday. For all the above, I am deeply grateful. 

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