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Mother’s Day is one of the most special days of the year. It also can be one of the most emotional. Whether your mom is still with us in this physical world or not, chances are she left an indelible mark on you and your views on life. No one gets to choose their mother - or their father. And many people are not raised by their natural or so-called birth mother. Yet most of us have wonderful and blessed memories of our mother.

My mother was a preacher’s wife and personally I think that has to be the toughest job in town. Most people think that preachers are perfect. While they may be of the ‘called’ or even of the ‘chosen’ variety (as in ‘many are called but few are chosen’), none of them are perfect. Yet my dad was a loving and caring father and a devoted servant of God, so please do not let my refrain above hint to anything otherwise related to him. Although he, like all of us, was far from perfect.

You see, as a preacher’s wife you get to see how the sausage is made – over the long run. And you learn not to judge people by God’s standards. Churches may be filled with hypocrites and those running them may sway from the straight and narrow as often as the masses but those are not slights on the Lord. In fact, it only goes to highlight the incredible grace and mercy of his spirit – his forgiveness.

And related to weight loss, my mother could have taken off a few pounds. She was not terribly over weight but I know that she would have enjoyed life more if her generation had better information around diet and nutrition – and if the east coast would have had better (healthier) food choices.

Most of us have some sayings that we fondly remember our mothers saying from time to time. One that my mom used to say (and yes, I know it doesn’t come off sounded like a very good preacher’s wife saying) was: ‘Your mouth runs like the clappering of a duck’s ass.’ If you knew how much energy I had as a kid and what a wise ass I was growing up – you’d understand.

In honor of mothers everywhere, here a few gems that moms have uttered over the years:

Be sure to put on a fresh pair of underwear in case you get in an accident.

It’s only rain, you won’t melt.

You just wait until your father gets home.

Someday you’re going to have one just like you.

Because I said so!

Brush your teeth and make your bed.

You’re going to go blind if you don’t stop doing that.

Play with fire and you’ll wet the bed.

Your face is going to freeze like that.

I have wonderful memories of my mother – and a couple of regrets. If your mother is still alive, take the time to be sure that she knows how you feel about her; and to clear the air on any left over baggage from the earlier years. I did before my mom passed away and I know that it added a few years to my life just by lightening my load a bit.

And compared to Dads – well, let me just say this: If as many Dads performed as dads as well as most Moms perform as moms, the world would be a lot better place to live. One of the biggest problems in America is that too many dads do not perform as dads. Well, I’m very grateful that my dad stayed committed to our family and to us kids.

Happy Mother’s Day!

And, Let The Vision of Your Mom Empower You!