Years ago, during the week prior to Mother’s Day, a local radio station ran a listener-driven piece called “What’s Your Mom-ism”? The gist of it was to identify whatever phrase your mom repeated to you the most times while growing up.

 

I had no difficulty recalling my mother’s words, but was far more interested in my own young adult kids’ memories; and wasted no time putting the question to each of them.

 

April’s answer, “It’s healthy to make yourself do things that make you feel uncomfortable—given that they’re legal, ethical, and moral.”

 

Joshua remembered, “Now…let’s think about this logically…”.

 

I was pleased with their answers; and do remember saying those things a lot. I also remember repeatedly saying, and was a little concerned it might be at the top for Joshua, “I don’t care if you are in bed, get back in here and turn your dirty socks right side out”. Whew! What a miss that would be, if those words were the loudest ones hollering out of the past. Although, in my quest-for-clean-socks defense, he actually called me after he got married and told me that he appreciated my diligence—because it sure made doing his adult laundry easier.

 

Maybe it has something to do with recently reaching the age of red and purple, but when I saw two small books “Forever My Little Boy” and “Forever My Little Girl” in a gift shop display last month—I bought them; and now they’re personalized with some tiny details of the young family that we once were. Time moves forward and I wouldn’t change a thing—wouldn’t go back any number of days because I’d never ever want to live through the sad bad awful ones again; BUT I will forever rejoice that I, along with their dad, was blessed by God to raise such awesome kids.

 

 

You saw me before I was born.

 

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

 

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139:16