a love-letter to my mom for her birthday. Happy Birthday mom.
Tomorrow is my mama's birthday. When I think about her, I smile. She is.....ferocious. She is captivating. She is smart and talented and full of compassion. She is beautiful. She is a leader and she is a follower of Jesus. It is an amazing thing, that I was allowed to have her as my mom. Because she was and is my mom, I have a responsibility in this world. I need to reach out to all those babies that didn't get what I got when God made her my mom. She did so much of it right.
My first baby is named after her. Claire Barbara is named because my mom, Nana Barb, was so happy for me when I got pregnant the first time and started my journey as a mom. She slept in make-up for many nights because I was overdue. She knew I would call her when we were ready to welcome our baby into the world. When Claire was ready to be born, we called her and she was at the hospital in minutes.....in full makeup with lipstick even, so that she could be ready to receive this child......and her namesake. They are close now, 18 years later. When I miscarried, she was there to help me. When I became mom to Isaac and then to Jeremiah she was also there....she was parenting me in my parenting. When we adopted Precious she stayed with our other kids and was the first to pick her up and hold her. I said, "mom. they said that only me and Roger should hold her and feed her and change her diaper these first weeks to establish a bond" she said, "well, that does not apply to me. I am her nana. I will hold her and feed her whenever I want to." and she did.
When I decided that special needs orphans were important, my mom agreed. She sent money. Lots and lots of money to help pay for the needs of Sarah's Covenant Homes. When I wanted to go to India she said she would go with me......because she is my mom. When something matters to me, it matters to her, too. It is a visceral thing.....it is powerful and it is important.
We started foster care classes this fall. Josiah has a half- brother that may need us to be a safe and stable and maybe permanent family. We have to travel and sit in class every week and we cannot do that without help. My mom said yes to helping us because she is my mama. She comes over every week on Tuesdays and is the taxi driver for my kids. She makes them a snack and she puts our littles to bed. Sometimes she stays and keeps the teens company.....but for the 10 weeks of our foster classes she is committed to being here to help.....and to parent me.
Being Mom is a big deal. It doesn't stop when your child grows up. It goes on and on....and God gave me the best mom. It is her birthday tomorrow.....happy birthday mama. You may never know how important you are. May God bless you for all you mean to me and to everyone who gets to know you. You are special. You matter. You are amazing.
Thank you for teaching me how to love people well. I hope you can enjoy many more birthdays and that you will know that you know that you know how much you matter. When I grow up, I want to be just like you.
My first baby is named after her. Claire Barbara is named because my mom, Nana Barb, was so happy for me when I got pregnant the first time and started my journey as a mom. She slept in make-up for many nights because I was overdue. She knew I would call her when we were ready to welcome our baby into the world. When Claire was ready to be born, we called her and she was at the hospital in minutes.....in full makeup with lipstick even, so that she could be ready to receive this child......and her namesake. They are close now, 18 years later. When I miscarried, she was there to help me. When I became mom to Isaac and then to Jeremiah she was also there....she was parenting me in my parenting. When we adopted Precious she stayed with our other kids and was the first to pick her up and hold her. I said, "mom. they said that only me and Roger should hold her and feed her and change her diaper these first weeks to establish a bond" she said, "well, that does not apply to me. I am her nana. I will hold her and feed her whenever I want to." and she did.
When I decided that special needs orphans were important, my mom agreed. She sent money. Lots and lots of money to help pay for the needs of Sarah's Covenant Homes. When I wanted to go to India she said she would go with me......because she is my mom. When something matters to me, it matters to her, too. It is a visceral thing.....it is powerful and it is important.
We started foster care classes this fall. Josiah has a half- brother that may need us to be a safe and stable and maybe permanent family. We have to travel and sit in class every week and we cannot do that without help. My mom said yes to helping us because she is my mama. She comes over every week on Tuesdays and is the taxi driver for my kids. She makes them a snack and she puts our littles to bed. Sometimes she stays and keeps the teens company.....but for the 10 weeks of our foster classes she is committed to being here to help.....and to parent me.
Being Mom is a big deal. It doesn't stop when your child grows up. It goes on and on....and God gave me the best mom. It is her birthday tomorrow.....happy birthday mama. You may never know how important you are. May God bless you for all you mean to me and to everyone who gets to know you. You are special. You matter. You are amazing.
Thank you for teaching me how to love people well. I hope you can enjoy many more birthdays and that you will know that you know that you know how much you matter. When I grow up, I want to be just like you.
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