Catholic Husband

Love / Lead / Serve

Honor Your Mother

During the years when my dad was in the Air Force, he seemed to find himself frequently in jobs that deployed on a regular basis. As a fighter pilot, his squadron was often sent to the desert for 90 days at a time. While it was a somewhat manageable amount of time compared to the length of deployments that other service families have had to endure in the past decade, the frequency was fairly brutal. During those times of deployment, my mom was left mostly alone to care for us.

We hear in the Gospels that we should love our mothers, but I think that too often we don't recognize the full scope of what they do for us. Watching Alison provide for Benedict in all of the ways that she does gives me greater insight into the time, effort, and attention my own mother gave me.

The fact is, moms go above and beyond. I'm reminded of a YouTube video released last year about the "World's Toughest Job." In the video, applicants are involved in a video interview for a position that sounds borderline illegal, only to have it revealed that the job they are interviewing for is that of mom. The nature of moms leads them to be very nurturing, resulting in tireless work.

How can we best honor our moms? Calling her is a good start, but so are random acts of kindness. Flowers, mailed cards, or any associated gestures can be wonderful ways to show your thanks and appreciation for your mother. If your mom is in a Nursing Home, be sure to visit her often and take her on outings.

Being a mom is not easy and we owe so much of who we are to our mothers. Make sure she knows just how grateful you are.