Since it’s Mother’s Day weekend, I wanted to take today to give some recognition to my amazing Mom. The older that I’ve gotten, the more and more I’ve realized how blessed I am to not only have a mom who’s always been a consistent, faithful part of my life, but to have grown up with an incredibly close relationship with her. I know that so many don’t have that with their mothers, and while I know I didn’t do anything special to deserve it, I’m extremely grateful for it.

My Mom is one of the wisest, most grounded women I’ve ever known. She cares deeply for people and wants to see them walking in peace, wisdom and success in their lives and has poured much of her life and heart into helping others along their paths. She devoted a good chunk of her years to homeschool me and my siblings, and did it well, and has continued to invest in other families by coming alongside of them in their homeschooling journeys. She would describe herself as a “background” person. She’s introverted (but has no trouble talking ;) and never cares to be upfront or gaining recognition for things, but give her a cup of coffee and someone to have a heart-to-heart conversation with and she will invest, encourage and listen for hours. Give her a task that needs to be done (especially research or organizational in nature) and she will tackle it with passion. She’s a relentless seeker of Truth and has always been an incredible example of making your faith your own. Not taking someone else’s word for things, but seeking them out, struggling with them until Truth is found.

She has walked through many difficult things, especially with her family, these past few years. Being there every step of the way to help take care of my Grandma as she battled Bi-Polar illness throughout her whole life, and cancer for the past 7 years. There were some incredibly difficult seasons in there, and I watched my Mom handle them with a grace and endurance that I can only pray I will have one day. When situations seem too difficult to bear, like losing her Mom and nephew within a month of each other, and it would be so much easier to shut out the world and merely try to deal with her own emotions, she reaches out to help ease the burden on those around her. She has a love, dedication and loyalty for family that I’m SO grateful to have been a recipient of, and have been challenged by time and time again. Truly, if I can just be a fraction of the woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend that she’s been, I will be happy.

Mom, thank you for sacrificing so much of your time and freedom to love me, Aimee and Asher so well. To educate us, invest in us, listen to us, cry with us, laugh with us (and occasionally yell at us when we needed it ;). Thank you also for always prioritizing being a wife first, and mom second. Showing with such a powerful example how important a strong, dedicated marriage is to being strong, dedicated parents. The transition from “parent” to friend has been seamless to me, and I cherish your friendship more than words can express. I very much hope I can be that kind of mom to my children, one day. Someone to love and grow alongside of them, guiding them, but knowing exactly when to let them step out on their own.

I have this old photo of my Mom & Grandma sitting on my desk and love the daily reminder of the beautiful women that I come from. I cherish when anyone tells me I resemble either of them.

While this is a bittersweet holiday, as I dearly miss my Grandma – I know my whole family does – I rejoice in the time I was blessed to have with her (and to still have with my other grandma!), and in all the time that I still have to experience with my Mom. I truly hope I can pass down the legacy of love and dedication to family that they have both invested in me.

Be sure to squeeze the special moms, grandmas and mom-figures in your life this weekend! Happy Mother’s Day!