The Power of a Mother's Love

My Dad called mom “Sparky”. She asked once why, and he responded “It should be obvious. You light up every place you enter.” My mom’s smile, laugh, and overall presence lit up the world around her. She brightened every room with her attitude and outlook on life. The glass was always half full and always available to be shared. I learned hospitality from my mom. Any meal can be made to accommodate one more person. There is no such thing as scarcity, we share what we have and there will always be enough.

Every problem has a solution. She told us repeatedly, there is nothing we cannot fix together. Something I took for granted as a child but realized its importance in adulthood. No matter the problem, no matter the issue, there was never a question in our mind that we would all make it out ok. There was no other choice. Never for even an instant were we on our own. As I became a mother, my mom told me not to believe the rumors - your job is not done when your baby turns 18. There was never a day my mom was not fully involved in my life – the good, the bad, and the chaotic.

Mom often knew things. It was as if she could just sense the outcome before it happened. My greatest example of her sixth sense came with the birth of my son. Baby boy was due on June 13th, 2015. For weeks, mom told me “He is coming in May”. Having had a late baby and an on-time baby, I told her she was crazy. She insisted, “He’s coming May 29th.” I called her at 4am on May 29th to tell her I was in labor. When she arrived at the house to watch the girls, she smiled and said “Thank you baby. Grandma is always right.” Though we all fight it, truth be told, she was always right. Her advice was priceless. She created a calm among every storm with the clarity of her thoughts and direction.

Mom said what she thought. It was your choice what you did with the information. You always knew exactly where things stood. For example, my husband is an electrician. When we were dating, he went to mom’s work to do some work. During the visit she cornered him in her store and said, “Are you planning to marry my daughter or not?” Yes, she was perfectly ready to tell him to take a hike if the answer was no. With mom there was no guessing. There were also no grudges or long held harsh feelings. She always told me you get mad; you talk it out, and you move on. She taught me the power of unconditional love.

Watching my parents together set the bar for married life. Mom told me, “Your Dad can make me so mad, but my heart still skips a beat when I see him walk through the door.” Love is about balance. Love is about walking the steps of the journey together. Over the years she filled her prayer life with hopes her children would find our perfect partners and experience the love her and Dad shared. She was more than ready to add two more kids to her prayer list.

Mom adored her role as Grandma. The way everyone’s eyes lit up as they came running to her yelling “Grandma” tackling her with hugs and kisses made her day. My mom balanced the spoiling and learning, giving her grand babies a perfect balance of both worlds. She took such an active role in the lives of her grandkids. We were beyond blessed to experience all the years of babysitting and school pick-ups, dance classes and girl scout meetings. Everyone in our children’s lives knew who Grandma was.

Her faith in the almighty power of God touched every aspect of her life. She had a full prayer life, always conversing with God about the needs of the people she loved most. I would often ask her to pray for this and that, and her response was usually “already on the list.” She trusted God, His power, and His timing. It is with 100% certainty that I say she was not scared in her last moments. Her heart did not hold fear, only trust in the perfect timing of our almighty creator and His ability to take her home and put her at peace. I know she has seen the face of Jesus. She is reunited with her own mother, who she missed so much. She is watching us right now, smiling, saying, “Wipe away those tears. Everything is going to be ok.”