What Really Matters...A Tribute to Moms

Welcome to May and Happy Mother's Day!

This year as Mother’s Day is approaching I’ve been remembering all of the wonderful gifts that my own Mom, Kathy Holden, gave to me and brother, Jamie.

I’ve been remembering all the time we spent together---doing everything. Whatever my Mom had to do, Jamie and I were her faithful sidekicks. The three of us “did life together” making us super close.

I’ve been remembering the laughter. My Mom had a great laugh, and a great sense of humor. When we were growing up, my Mom prayed that there would be “laughter in our walls”. Thanks to her, there was and still is, as my brother and I inherited her sense of humor.

I’ve been remembering the love. My Mom taught me what it means to be loved and to love other people. She once asked me how I knew that God loved me. My answer, “I can understand God’s love because I know how you love me.” That answer was the absolute truth.

I remember how much my Mom loved Jesus, and how she did everything she could to pass that passion onto us.

I remember watching her read the Bible while Jamie and I swam in the pool, listening to her pray in her room, and all of the hours she put into planning family devotions.

I remember her teaching us to pray, teaching us to not just read but study the Bible and how to put it into practice into our daily lives. She passed on her love for God and His Word to us---now we try to pass it on to others.

I remember that my Mom was a woman of strong convictions---a woman who stood up for what she believed was right no matter who objected or what it cost her. Through her example, she taught my brother and I to do the same. Growing up, when we needed “back up support” to do the right thing, she was always there. Thanks to her, my brother and I avoided many of the pitfalls of our peers. We were spared years of heartache because of her strong convictions.

I remember a woman with enormous faith. She believed God could do anything. It's because she passed that gift of faith on to Jamie and I that we're now willing to take any risk or follow God into any new area that He calls us. We're Kathy's kids---what else would we do?

Looking back, I remember the hard times---the times my Mom was hurt and suffered at the hands of people who should have treated her better. I remember that in those times she taught us how to forgive and treat others like Jesus would, even when they didn’t deserve it.

I remember years of loving support from a Mom who believed we could do anything or become anything that God wanted us to be. She always encouraged us to learn more, try new things, take risks, and push ourselves to be the best we could be. When we succeeded, she cheered the loudest. When we failed, she gave us a place to land and the support and encouragement to get back up and try again. You never forget that.

I remember the little things:

The hours spent in the kitchen cooking together

Family vacations

Our yearly tradition of making Christmas decorations

I remember that my Mom loved Christmas and went out of her way to make it special

I remember homemade birthday cakes and birthday parties

Hours spent driving in the car talking, talking, and more talking. We talked about everything---including mistakes she’d made, our family history, and how we could avoid repeating the heartache of generations gone before. Although these probably weren’t the easiest conversations for her, she was willing to have them because she knew they’d help us. In the end, they did.

I remember talking to her about everything, and the fact that no subject was off limits.

I remember all the hours she spent taking me to piano lessons and watching Jamie’s little league games

I remember that she taught Jamie and I to shoot for the highest standards possible and never settle for less.

I remember that my Mom was the first one in the family to discover Christian rap music, and that she blasted Christian rock through the house while we were doing our chores and keeping it clean.

Mostly, I remember that she loved us. She was there for us. Even though we didn’t have every “thing” in the world, we thought our lives were full because we had each other.