Local pastor offers Mother’s Day tribute to his Mom

To Mom on Mother’s Day,

There are so many warm memories that you have provided for me in my life. Some examples are the way that you taught me what to do when attending a friend’s birthday party, how to side with my brothers instead of against them, how to be careful with a knife, and how to drive a stick-shift standard transmission. I remember that when I struggled with spelling in third and fourth grades, you patiently helped me memorize the hard words like “encyclopedia” for my weekly spelling tests.

You have always given me the most incredible personal and creative Christmas, birthday, wedding, Easter, and Valentine’s Day cards and presents.

Thank you for your generous gifts of time and attention. I drank them in for years with too little thought of the sacrifice you made for me by making childrearing your major career. Our house was always a real home. In fact, I always enjoyed our family meals around the table; especially the delicious suppers punctually served at 6 p.m. each night.

Thanks for not making me finish my tapioca pudding. It contained too many lumps for my young pallet then, but now it is one of my favorite desserts. I also enjoyed our consistently clean house, garage, and even the yards. This reminds me that I must apologize for being so little help around the house.

I have vivid memories of digging up dahlia bulbs in the fall, and picking weeds for spray painting and drying. You sang with us and played some piano. It only occurs to me now that my love of gardening and music can probably be traced to you.

You showed me the central importance of God in my life. In fact, I might not have prayed each night without your reminders. I might not have never learned basic Bible stories without your reading them to us so often. It was basically your example of a personal relationship with Christ that planted the seeds of my own saving faith in Jesus. And I know that I probably wouldn’t have known the wonderful blessings of being an integral part of the local church without your guidance. Just think. church work is now my career.

I really appreciate the way that you have continued to cheer me on after I launched out on my own by supporting me at school with tuition, cards, visits, and your prayers. I’ll always remember how proud I felt to have you at our wedding and at my seminary graduation.

Finally, you gave me something that seems to top them all; the example of your marriage with Dad. I have seen you honor him in everything you’ve said and done, and I honestly cannot recall a single bad argument between you two! It’s always been obvious to me that you love each other; care for each other, and that you really like being together. I have never felt insecure or fearful that you would leave us or get a divorce from Dad.

I treasure the memories of your good, solid, happy marriage and I attribute the success of my own marriage to the example that I have seen in yours. Thanks for cheering Barbara and me on from a distance. You have treated us with a gracious balance of advice and freedom. I realize that I benefit from a strong family heritage passed on to me through your own parents and grandparents on both sides. For this the credit goes ultimately to God.

This Mother’s Day, I wanted to give you this tribute along with my appreciation, admiration, and heart-felt love.

Your No. 1 son of three,

Steve

Stephen Adamson is pastor of Maricopa Community Church.

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Photo by RuthAnn Hogue