by Lisa Hein
When I was a little girl, my brother, sisters and I couldn’t wait to buy our mother something very special on Mother’s Day. We probably had less than a quarter, but it didn’t matter. We each wanted our gift to be the one she would love the most. The challenge was on and you could only hope that your gift was the prettiest or that it would make her smile the biggest.
As I matured, the definition of Mother’s Day changed. It meant ‘to honor.’ It meant spending time picking the perfect flowers, perfume, trinket, or whatever it was I was to present to my mother. It meant finding that right card that would share my true feelings. I just wanted her to understand how much she meant to me, no matter what the past relationship was, and that the love, respect and honor I had for her was forever.
When I became a mother, it took me to another level of understanding as to what that day was to mean for me. Yes, it was nice to know that my child would go to the mall with my husband and pick something special out for me. It made me feel special that he would take time to either buy or make me something that would say, ‘I love my mommy.’
As the years went by and I became closer to God, I didn’t allow myself to get caught up with these ‘calendar’ celebrations. I’ve never been one to think that we needed specific days to do what we should be doing all year long. All the ‘hoop da la’ really wasn’t necessary and at times would leave most mother’s feeling on top of the world or hurt, making you feel alone and unappreciative.
We don’t want to intentionally expect people to feel ‘required’ to perform. If we are doing a good job, then every day should be Mother’s Day!
Children know how much we mean to them and they should not be expected to do anything more than to love and honor us every single day. When we are doing what God expects from us, it should be easy for them to want to give us what we need – Love. When we keep our relationships with our children real, then, that’s all we should care about. We just don’t need the calendar telling us when that time should be!
We want to nurture our relationship with them based on adoration, respect, and love. We don’t want them being confused that the only time they should be nice is when we give them something or on the day marked ‘Mother’s Day.’
Being gracious and appreciative for whatever happens is exactly the way to handle that day. If we have no expectations, we will not be let down. If we receive a telephone call at six that night or a card the following Tuesday, it really doesn’t matter because you know who you are and how your children feel about you.
Over the years, I remained very devoted to my mother. I realized that I didn’t have to wait to show her how much I loved her until that ‘special day.’ If I saw something I knew she’d love, I’d get it for her. It didn’t matter if it was a sunny day in March or a gloomy day in October. I wanted her to feel the love I had for her every day. I never wanted to assume that she’d be here forever with me and understood that one day my mother would not be gone.
That day is now. My mother has passed and I will be spending many Mother’s Day without my ‘mommy.’ It is sad yet, there’s one thing I still have inside me for her – Honor. I miss her terribly, but know that she is in a much better place.
Make your Mother’s Day the most amazing day celebrating self. Honor yourself and remember all the wonderful times you shared with your child. Celebrate the time you gave preparing them for their life journey. Know how important you are and how you inspired them to be what they were meant to be.
We are amazing women given a purpose! This is one of the greatest purposes in life. The fact that we were chosen to create a human being and have it grow inside of us…well, that’s just pure honor. God gave us, the woman, the gift to bore children and nurture them for only a short time. Embrace those moments.
Remember :
M- Mothers are
O- Often
T- The
H- Heartbeat of
E- Each
R- Relationship
S- So, embrace who you are and what you have accomplished!
Know the truth. Know that you are an amazing mother. Know who you are and that God sees your heart. Know that no matter what happens on that day, you are an incredible! Celebrate You!
Lisa is the author of THE BOOK, “I’m Doing The Best I Can!” (They won’t always be cute and adorable) and is thrilled to present her newest book titled, ‘Manifesting God’s Love In Your Family.’
Her passion is to encourage parents to embrace their parenting journey as a blessing. Her determination is to help families learn to live a more spiritually-based life.
Lisa has been featured on national television and radio networks, booked as a motivational speaker, and recently retired as the host of her own radio show ‘Everyday Parenting.’ She was also asked to share her expertise among fifty one nationally recognized motivational speakers and authors, in the book titled, ‘Ready, Aim Excel!’ She says, “I am honored to be included alongside these incredibly intelligent and inspiring people who come from all over the world.”
To book Lisa for your next event or to learn more about her please visit www.LisaRHein.com.
