05/12/2026
My Mom. I arise and call her blessed.
I talked to my mom on Mother’s Day and shared with her some of the life lessons she’s passed on to me:
• “Well, at least we can laugh about it.”
Humor is a must. Laughter increases joy when life is good, and it’s even more important when life is hard.
• “….I know what we can do…”
Resourcefulness gets things done. Not having easy solutions means we get to use our creativity and smarts, and gives us a sense of satisfaction when we figure things out.
• “If you don’t know the definition, look in the dictionary.”
It’s okay not to know, but go find out. Use the tools available to you and never stop learning and being curious.
• “We just have to keep praying.”
Prayer isn’t the last resort, it’s our most powerful resource. And God’s timetable is not our own.
• “I believe God heals. I know He does miracles.”
She doesn’t say “always”, or how God moves, but she leans in, she asks, and lets Him decide when and how.
• “Things are going good for me.”
She consistently shows me her resilience, finding happiness in widely changing circumstances… health, age, location, budget… making friends, finding a church, settling into a place, getting involved, making it her community.
• “My biggest prayer has always been for my children to know the Lord.”
She has continued to pray for each of us for as long as necessary until that was true. Now she prays this for my kids.
“Look. Isn’t that just incredible?”
Laying on our stomachs in the grass, watching an ant carry a crumb five times their size. God gave us an incredible world to discover and appreciate. Pay attention.
There are many more lessons she’s passed on, and they are now embodied in me, a living legacy of her strength, her experience, and her hope.
She turns 85 this year. My prayer for myself has always been “95, healthy and strong”, and I am praying that for her too.
📸: November 2017, The Factory, Franklin, TN