By Leigh Currey Merrifield
Mom – a word that is spelled with only three letters and yet its meaning encompasses so much. “Mom” is a woman (usually, but sometimes a Mr. Mom) who is a cook, dietitian, laundress, comforter, disciplinarian, teacher, nursemaid, cheerleader, chauffeur … the titles she fulfills are way too numerous to list them all. And so are her attributes. She’s strong, wise, innovative, energetic, faithful, gentle, forgiving, supportive, caring … and this is another list that is nearly endless!
Hopefully you don’t need a reminder that Mother’s Day is this Sunday. It’s a day to honor and appreciate someone very special – just like Christmas – someone who should be kept in our hearts each and every day, not just recognized once a year. Hopefully, fathers take advantage of this one day to teach their children that it is important to do something special for mom and show her a little extra appreciation. And aren’t the little ones so sweet and angelic when they come to your bedside carrying breakfast in bed as a surprise? (Even if it’s a bowl of Trix!) Or hiding a bouquet of flowers behind their backs? (Even if they’re dandelions!) Or offering an original crayon drawing? (Even if it’s drawn on the refrigerator door!)
Candidly, what do kids say about their moms when they are out of earshot? Here are a few Q & A’s from little ones that I thought might make you smile.
Q: Why did God make mothers?
A; She’s the only one who knows where the Scotch tape is.
A: Think about it. It was the best way to get more people.
A: Mostly to clean the house.
A: To help us out when we were getting born.
Q: How did God make mothers?
A: With magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
A: He made my Mom just the same as he made me, only he used bigger parts.
Q: What ingredients are mothers made of?
A: God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world, and maybe one dab of mean.
A: Well, they had to get started from men’s bones, then they mostly used string, I think.
Q: How would you describe the world’s greatest Mom?
A: She would make broccoli taste like ice cream.
A: The greatest mom in the world wouldn’t make me kiss my fat aunts.
Q: Is anything about your Mom perfect?
A: Her teeth are perfect, but she bought them from the dentist.
A: Just her children.
Q: If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
A: She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I’d get rid of that.
A: I’d make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my brother who did it and not me.
I guess you have to mature a little before you truly appreciate all the things that are wrapped up in “Mom”. I think I’ve done that, and I’d like to offer my own personal message to my mother.
I thank you, Mom, for giving me life, for giving me the strong roots of a loving home that I knew I could always return to, and for giving me the courage to spread my wings and fly away when it was time. A model, not a critic – that’s what you’ve always been. Thank you for believing in me and for always standing beside me. Through the years, there were times when miles may have separated us, but I knew that you were always instantly available if I needed you – and I love you for that. Now, we are so blest that we only have to yell in the next room when we need one another. To my VERY best friend – Happy Mother’s Day!