she is more…A Mother’s Day Story

“Mom, where are my blue socks with the little pink hearts?” shouted Kallie from her upstairs room. 

Lynn (Mom) walked from the kitchen, where she was making breakfast, to the landing midway up the stairs, “They are in your top drawer on the right side, with all your other socks -same place that they have been for the last four years; and remember the rule of not shouting in the house?”

“Yes Mom, thank you.”  ‘You’ was drawn out in typical adolescence overkill.  Kallie was the middle child in this busy household.

Lynn couldn’t see Kallie, but she knew that her eyes were rolling and head thrown back.  Kallie was twelve years old – she rolled her eyes as often as she flipped her hair, but that was OK.  Mom knows that she is a good girl growing through a difficult phase in a girl’s life.

“Josh,” said Lynn towards her youngest child’s room.  “I assume you are awake and getting dressed.  Breakfast is almost ready.”

“Ya Mom, almost ready,” answered Josh as he just now slid out from under his bed covers.  Truth be told, since 3rd grade boys rarely comb their hair or wash their face, he was almost ready.  Mom would fix both to her standards after breakfast.

Back in the kitchen, the eggs, toast and pancakes were almost ready.  Jim, Lynn’s husband was already off to the airport for another trip, and Lisa the oldest at fifteen had been up and in the bathroom for 45 minutes.  Since she has been allowed to wear “a little” makeup, Lisa had become a morning person – attempting to spend more time making herself cute than doing homework.  Lynn intended to talk with Lisa on this issue, but chose to give her a little time.  This was a fun time for Lisa, and she did not want to dull her child’s enthusiasm.

During the next twenty minutes there was a flurry of eating, washing, searching for and finding homework, backpacks, and shoes, combing of hair (not by Josh’s choice) and running.  This morning ritual resembled Chaos Theory on steroids, but Mom controlled all of it, so no one forgot anything or was late to school.  For five days a week, Lynn managed the weekday morning rush, and on weekends even more.  But for now, Lynn had thirty minutes to clean the kitchen and have a cup of coffee before she had to hurry off to her part time job.  She would be back at home before the youngest was out of school.

~~~~~

This story represents a typical scene played out in uncounted homes all over the country.  Someone has to keep the family together; remembering the basics – food, clothing and hygiene, and organize a herd of cats daily, and that someone is usually Mom.  This lady must be a mind reader, master chef, appliance technician, teacher, counselor, maid, and security guard.  She sounds too good to be real, almost superhuman.  In reality though, Moms are not super human, they are just more human than the rest of us.  More compassionate, more patient, more forgiving, more understanding, more willing, even more loving: not necessarily a better human, but someone who employs more of the affirmative traits of humanity that most other people.  It could be that God planned for the Mom in the family to possess an excess of the traits necessary for peaceful coexistence, or that to keep harmony in a 21st century home,  Mom’s developed those characteristics.  In either case, the Mom of today is required to be more.   

 Jesus knew what families would need in 2012; that could be why the first person he told (outside of the Apostles) that he was the Messiah was a woman, and presumably a mother.  It was the lady at the well, a Samaritan, who had been married five times, was currently unmarried and living with another man.  The Bible states that “Jesus had compassion for her,” and did not care that she had made mistakes.  Maybe Jesus not only felt compassion for the woman, but conveyed increased compassion to all women at that moment in anticipation of their growing role in the family. 

The first people at the tomb on Easter Sunday were women, Mothers who, out of respect and love, overcame the risk of imprisonment or worse by the Jewish leaders and went to do their duty.  The two Mothers at the tomb were required to do more; just like the Mothers of today – so they stepped up and did what was required, asking nothing in return.

“Mom, I’m home,” yelled Josh.  “I had a great day – I can’t wait to tell you about it!”

Then sometimes, Moms do get something very valuable in return. 

Thanks for reading.  Happy Mother’s Day!

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