Dear Mother!

He's so adorable. He's such an angel. He's so respectful.

This kid's a terror. He's a little demon. Who's kid is this?

Wow! My mom deserves a medal just for dealing with my ridiculous antics as a kid.

Growing up, I was the middle child (whatever that means). My parents were great. We did much of what we wanted, never went without, and were raised to respect others, ourselves, and our stuff.

What makes a great mom? Here are a few lines of why my mom is so great.

Great moms care for their family. She made visits to the doctor's office, emergency room, and in one instance, the county jail. (I think the jail thing was a scare tactic for me as a 6 year old--see line 2).

Great moms provide for their family. Gifts under the Christmas tree, candy in my Easter basket, parties for my birthday, dinner on the table. While some were expected and others were not, looking back I'm so grateful for her provision.

Great moms are patient with their family. She spoke on the phone and attended meetings with neighbors, teachers, the principal, and (I think) even the preacher to discuss my behavior.

Great moms sacrifice for their family. She sat tirelessly in her lawn chair reading Karen Kingsbury books while I waited my turn to bat at baseball games in the July summer heat.

Great moms discipline their family. A rag full of soap, a wooden spoon, the dreaded belt, timeout, being grounded from the phone, etc. She didn't beat me senseless but she loved me enough to discipline me and help shape me into a young man of character.

Great moms enjoy their family. She alternated between the sun and the shade by the pool while we practiced our cannon balls and back flips off the diving board. Pools, beaches, cruises, mountains, amusement parks. No matter where, she's been there enjoying life with the family.

Great moms teach responsibility to their family. "Write it down," she would say, when I asked if she would remind me to pack my jersey or get my gym clothes from the laundry. This signature phrase was a great training ground for responsibility and independence for my future.

Great moms are present for their family. Weekend tournaments, accepting a job hours away, and necessary conversations in the middle of the night have never been a match to keep her away. Even if it's just to listen, she's always been present.

Great moms share their faith with their family. Though she didn't brow beat me with Bible verses or torture me with thee's and thou's, she has continually shown me a beautiful picture of faith through her daily walk with the Lord.

My mom truly has been a blessing to me and I'm so thankful for what she's done and who she's been in my life. She has been willing to bear the weight of many circumstances in the life of each member of our family and for that I'm grateful. There's no question that the foundation of all she has been and all that she's done rests on the love she has for Christ and for us.

Perhaps the single most important phrase I could use to sum up her life for me has been, "I don't want to do anything that would stand in the way of God doing all that He wants to do in and through you!" She truly has been a remarkable display of a Proverbs 31 woman in the life of our family!