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I have always loved my mother dearly but as a young child and
well into my teen years I never understood her (self-centered creature that I
was). It wasn’t until I became a mother myself that my eyes were open to the
sacrifices she made on behalf of her children, of the obstacles that she had to
overcome, and of the many anxious moments that me and my siblings put her through. I am
sorry to say that a lot of those gray hairs on her head were caused by me.
My mother exudes care and compassion. She probably wouldn’t
agree with me because she is her own biggest critic. But it’s those qualities that brought her to the point of returning to college while I was attending
college so she could pursue a career in nursing after her children were mostly grown and
moving on in the world. I can’t count the times that we would run into people
while out and about who had either had my mother as their nurse or someone in
their family had had her as their nurse. They always spoke so highly of her
loving care and the special time she took with her patients.
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My mom is a wonderful encourager. She knows how to speak into our lives words
that build us up and is one of our biggest fans. She is so proud of our
accomplishments in life, no matter how small, and she is not afraid to let the
world know how she feels.
She is a woman of faith. She loves Jesus and loves others
with that same love. Just ask the people in her small mountain church in North Carolina
or those in her small group from her Florida church, or the women that she
helps at the pregnancy center, or her friends, or her neighbors, or her grandchildren, or the myriad of people who have been touched by
her faith through her years of involvement in Cursillo and CFO! She and my dad
faithfully pray for their loved ones and are not afraid to share their faith or to take a stand for
what they believe in.
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So, I miss my mom today – and lots of other days too – but I am so very grateful that she has and will continue to have great influence in my life.
I love you mom!