A Deeper Appreciation....

by Amy

The older I get - and the older my kids get - the more I appreciate my mom. Being a mom is a wonderful job - probably the best one there is! But, it's definitely not the easiest job around. And, as I fight a selfish, complaining attitude that occasionally creeps into my heart, I think of my mom and her example. Now that I'm a mom myself, I realize that my mom probably didn't actually enjoy pooper-scooping the yard. But, I can honestly say, that I never once heard her complain about it. Can my kids say the same thing? Did they ever hear me complain about cleaning up after the bunnies? I also realize that it was probably difficult for her when my dad went out of town, but again, I never heard a complaint. And, we often did extra fun things - like play games, go out to dinner, stay up late, or have a slumber party - when he was gone.

One of the things I remember my mom saying to me when I was in college and she looked back on our "growing up years" was that she wished she had played with me and my brother more. In her opinion, my dad was fun and she was always busy. I can honestly say that is not how I remember things. But, I often think of that in relation to my own kids. Do I take the time to play with them? Do we do fun things together? Do they know that I enjoy being with them? Or, am I too busy cleaning up, cooking or doing my own thing that I don't cherish the time I have with them?

I praise the Lord for the great example my mom was to me. She was hard-working, supportive of my dad, loving, gentle, quick to speak an encouraging word, ready to listen, tender-hearted, and so much more. Watching her battle Alzheimer's now breaks my heart - even thousands of miles away.