To My Dear Mother

By Ann Detweiler

May 1, 2019

Dear Mom,

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. I wanted to get you a special card, or flowers, or something—anything to let you know how much you mean to me. But honestly, flowers and cards really don’t express it well enough. Since writing happens to be my gift, I decided that might be a better option.

Mom, thank you. Thank you for carrying me for nine long months. Thank you for laboring all day and birthing my little body. Thank you for holding me in your arms and weeping as you thought about the responsibility of guiding my soul. Thank you for all those sleepless nights, diaper changes, laundry, and baths.

Thank you for singing to me, for sharing your love of music with me, and for taking me for piano lessons. Thank you for letting me sing all the different parts while I “sang” soprano in my head. Thank you for the good memories of reciting a Psalm before nap time, and for the afternoons on the porch swing eagerly waiting for Daddy to arrive home from work.

I remember one time when you had a picnic lunch with us under the pine trees. Thank you for taking time out of your day to do that. Thank you for giving me special care when I was sick. Thank you for praying with me when I had nightmares. Thank you for answering my many questions and listening to my many stories. Thank you for your patience with me.

Very faintly I remember that before I’d go to sleep, you and Dad would pray with me and the rest of the children. Thank you. Thank you for teaching me of Jesus by your word and example. Thank you for your vibrant spirit and for showing me how to love my husband by the way you love Dad.

Mom, I’m so blessed to have you as my mom. I admire how you mothered. I want to memorize scripture with my children and pray with them. I want to sing with them. I want them to have memories of watching the road for their daddy to arrive home from work. I want them to know without a shadow of doubt that “Mommy loves Daddy,” just like I knew when I was growing up.

I’ve taken you for granted so many times. But I want to change that. Now I’m the one with a toddler pulling at my skirt and a baby who needs nursed. Now I have little voices who call me “Mommy.” It’s my turn to deal with the messy diapers, mountains of dirty laundry and dishes, the fingerprints on the window panes, and the short nights.

And my desire is to do my part as a mama to plant seeds in my children’s hearts just like you did with me. So that someday, they, too, will rise up and do the same for their children, for God’s glory alone.

Thank you, Mom! I’m so glad God choose you to be my mom. May God bless you this Mother’s Day and always.

I love you, Ann