Today...

Today my thoughts turn to those who may face Mother's Day with sadness, fear, or emptiness. I am praying for those who will spend their first Mother's Day without their dear mother. I am sad for the children who do not know their mother or whose mothers neglect or abuse them. My heart also aches for those mamas who will never again see their children on Mother's Day because their little ones are now in Heaven. I especially pray for my friend, Nita, on this day and for all of those who have lost a child or miscarried. There are women whose arms ache in hopes of one day holding a baby that is their own but they are plagued by infertility. Still others are mothers to heroes who are spending this day in Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other place defending our country from the threats of terrorism. Some mothers are alone by choice, but still others long to be with their children. I am blessed to celebrate with my family, but I am praying for all of the others.
I am so thankful and blessed to be a mother to 5 children. As I woke up this morning, I thanked my husband and the Lord for making me a Mama. It is my highest calling.... high above names like doctor, CEO, CFO, President, Madame President, School Board leader, or any other title. Mind you, those are important too, but for me, being a Mama is the highest calling. I love it. I am so blessed! I spent many years aching to hold a baby of my own. There were times of great sadness and desperation. It's hard to believe now that I am the mother of 5. But I will never forget our struggles, and I am grateful for them as they have given me more compassion for others. Of course I still need a lot more, but God is still at work in me! :)
This Mother's Day may you relish the time with your family. Call your mama if you haven't done so already. Reach out to a new Mama and congratulate her and hug a friend who still wants to be a Mama. It's a special day!! Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day, Mama!!!

I am so blessed to have a beautiful, loving, fun, Christian, giving, all-around wonderful Mama!! It has not been easy living so far from my Mama and Papa. In fact, we went FOUR months without seeing them!! A phone call is just not the same. My mother is one of the best bridge players in Raleigh, NC. She makes the best Sunday dinners in the whole world. Just like her Mama, she cooks dish after wonderful dish and we indulge ourselves happily when she does. She is very funny. How many mamas do you know that will shock a whole elite tour group in Miami by dressing in an all-white suit with a Donatella Versace long blonde wig? No one even knew who this stranger was when she entered the bus! Mama has such a great sense of humor. When we are together, we laugh and laugh and laugh. She has so many friends and has wonderful parties. She has always made me be a better person and sacrificed much for my behalf. Yet, she always communicated to me that all I had to do was my best, and if my best produced a C or D, that was okay. My competitive personality needed to hear that. I am very hard on myself and needed to know it's OKAY not to be perfect. Mama, I am thankful for you & I love you so much!! I feel blessed to be able to celebrate this day with you & hope we can celebrate together for many, many more years!!! I LOVE YOU.

Rules by which a Southern Mother Lives

My sweet sister-in-law, A, gave me a great book when she visited! It is called, "Some Day You'll Thank Me for This... The Official Southern Ladies' Guide to Being a "Perfect" Mother". It is by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays & it is HILARIOUS! You can buy it here on Amazon.com!

I liked this part...
Rules by which a Southern Mother Lives:
1. Never sit on the commode seat in a filling station. Always hover. Hovering is great for the legs. By the way, we say commode, not toilet.

2. Always wear a piece of good jewelry when going to the airport- that way people will know you are from a nice family. (Why do we care? We jes' do. We secretly believe people might treat us nicer if they believe our rich daddy will horsewhip them if they don't.)

3. Speak to all chaperones. (If you don't, Mother will know because in the Delta there are no secrets.)

4. Don't tell me. I don't want to know.

5. Tell me everything. I am your mother. (We will reveal some of Mother's tricks for pumping the truth out of unsuspecting daughters in subsequent chapters.)

6. Always be nice to the other girls-- they'll help you get to the boys.

7. Always wear your nice underwear-- you may be killed in a car wreck, and you don't want the EMS workers to take one look at your poor dead little body and say, "Well, she certainly wasn't a lady." That would be a fate worse than death!

8. You can date him, but you don't have to marry him.

9. It is as easy to feed a good dog as a bad dog.

10. Never reply to a formal invitation in blue ink.

And the Southern mother's all-time favorite rule of life:

11. Serve left, retrieve right.