Mother's Day

Last year when I started my blog it was after Mother's Day hod come and past.  Those of you who have followed me or read up will possibly remember that I made a post about Father's Day and my dad.  Therefore, it only seems fair for me to write a post about Mother's Day and my mom.

Theoretically, it is possibly for a person to not have a father, or at least not have a father they can find physically.  Science can do some crazy things, and let's not forget the virgin birth.  However, as far as I know, it is not possible to not have a mother.  Some of us have less than average mothers, others have great ones.  I have been blessed to have a great mother who is still married to my father after something like 24 years.

For the most part my mom has been a stay at home mom.  She was able to spend lots of time with me and my two siblings.  I could not be more thankful for the things that I was able to learn from her and her experience.  Despite being a very young mother who probably had a ton of things to learn herself, she was able to pass on numerous teachings that I may not have ever learned elsewhere.  I learned to cook, clean, wash dishes, do laundry, vacuum, and generally take care of myself from my mother.  Not only did I learn how to take care of myself, but I learned how to take care of a family and other people as many of the things I just mentioned I had to do for 5 people.

It's funny how much wisdom you really do gain with age.  When I was growing up I hated chores as most children do.  I would put up a fuss and try to get my siblings to do my work or blame them for household uncleanliness (though, I once proved they they were the cause of most of the mess, and if you look at my room now it is still the cleanest of the three).   However, around the time I turned 19 or 20 I was struck with a funny realization.  All those things my mom forced me to do when I was growing up shaped me into the person I had become.  Amazingly, I was able to look back at the things I often hated and be thankful.  I was so glad my mom had made me do all those things because I was then able to do them on my own.  I have seen a number of people who lack these skills I learned from my mom.  As a young adult, I am able to look back on the things my mom taught me and fully appreciate them.  Even now, I write this from my parents basement.  However, I believe that for right now I am here by choice.  I'll admit that I am sure there is still a ton for me to learn, but I feel fully equipped by my mother's teach to live on my own.  I feel more equipped growing up with her than I ever could have felt after 4 years of college.

Though our family has a strange way of showing love perhaps, and our social interactions with each other possible abnormal from the traditional "good" family, I am thankful for it all.  Somehow things work out for us and we generally get along.  I have no regrets with how I grew up, and honestly cannot think of many ways that I would have changed things.  Everything that I learned and went through has built me to be the person I am now.

Mother's Day was now a couple of days ago, but I had been too busy or distracted to make a post then.  I still learn new things from my mom.  Still learn new things to cook, and still learn new ways to do things.  And I am still thankful for her and what she does.  The last 5 or 7 years have been particularly rough on our family and probably especially on her.  I cannot imagine what it would be like to watch your husband go through the things my dad has gone through, but somehow my mom manages to stay strong and trust God even when she wonders what on earth God is doing.  I am glad my parents are Christians and that they have raised me to be so too (even if I started going to church before they did).

Mother's Day is certainly a time to remember and reflect on the things your mom has done for you.  If you do not have a mother or something like that, make sure you are learning to become a better mother, or make sure you are learning to respect your future wife as the mother she may one day become.  God bless mothers, and God bless mine.

Your friend, brother, and companion in Christ,
-Zach Haas