Mother's Day Is For Your Kids
If you were given the plot to destroy the American culture, the obvious place to begin would be the family. The family is the training ground for societal necessities such as commitment to others and compassion for others. The family is the building block of the community. Family is the first “society” in which kids grow up.
The family teaches a child to share … at least it is supposed to. The family also teaches the child to care. Growing up in a family should teach a child to sacrifice personal gain for the sake of those around them. Individuals don’t always get to do what they want, watch what they want, or eat what they want. Decisions and sacrifices are made by individuals for the sake of the whole unit.
I remember one summer when my family and I were getting ready to go on vacation, I got scarlet fever. My family had to stay home because of me. I even said to my parents, “You guys should go on and let me stay with grandma. I shouldn’t cause you to miss vacation.”
When dad sat everyone down in my bedroom he gave us a memorable family speech. He told us he was canceling vacation and explained why. Dad said “Being a family means when one of us has a need, it impacts the whole family.” The family should stop what they are doing in order to make the necessary sacrifices for the sake of the one in need. He finished his speech with this statement, “And we’re going to do it with happy faces!”
That was the first time I saw sacrifice put into practice. The family stopped their vacation plans, but it was mom who dug in and happily took care of me. The work she put into taking care of me, her sacrifice and the compassion she showed me during that three week period was almost supernatural. Even late into the night her attitude did not change.
Mom’s incredible godly qualities were role models for me. These godly qualities are the same ones that are the glue which keeps a society of individuals functioning. They are the “foot washing” assignments that Jesus chose to teach us. Serving the needs of the people around us was something I got to watch mom do. Dad was awesome--he paid the bills. But, it was mom’s sacrifices for us that taught me what it takes to be a family.
If you want to raise a society that is made up of self-centered individuals, keep degrading and re-configuring the family. If you want to take what is left of the glue that makes the family function, degrade the person who holds the family together, downplaying the role of mom.
We have been through four decades of moms and potential moms being told they could not possibly find fulfillment by “just being a mom!” The lie has been promoted that it’s a waste of a women’s full potential if she settles for making motherhood her priority. Then our society raised the bar for the American mom by expecting her to “bring home the bacon, and fry it up in the pan,” while keeping a perfect home, being the perfect mom, fantastic wife and community leader. To find worth in her existence she had to excel at every opportunity.
What have the past four decades done to the role of mom? It has made little girls view motherhood as a minor, insignificant role. It has made little boys see motherhood as something women do if they really can’t do anything else.
It is time to actively promote a different view of the profession called Mom. This Mother’s Day, promote the role of mother in your home. Make the day more than a bouquet of flowers, a card and lunch. Children of all ages need to hear what their mom does, because much of her role is either behind the scenes or taken for granted. Children underestimate what mom does until she is gone.
When my son Robey was ten years old we were in the car together and he asked me, “What does mom do all day?” It shocked me that he was unaware of all the things she did for us, so I wasn’t prepared to give a great answer on the spot. However, I prepared a list of the things his mom did to make our house a home.
Our sons need to know what their moms do at home, because this will add an element for them to think about before they propose to a young lady. Our daughters also need to know the role of mom is a high calling, privilege and honor. It will help her when she is thinking about getting married and having children of her own. Most of all, moms need to hear the words “thank you” from their children. A gracious and heartfelt thank you to your mom this Mother’s Day will be the start of a better understanding and appreciative view toward the role of moms.