Abe Lincoln did not lie when he said “All I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” In fact, the truth of that statement impacted me so much I had it inscribed on a pen for my mother’s Christmas gift one year. My mother is the single most influential person I have ever known. Aside from the whole birth thing, my deep connection with her truly began when I was nine. I watched her lovingly care for my father as he spent two years battling esophageal cancer. I watched her plan a funeral that came far too early. I watched her transition from a wife to a single mom. I watched as she packed up the car for our weekend getaways to Bozeman so we could recover. And I have been watching her ever since.
She has been my greatest teacher. She has taught me that reading can take me to new worlds, introduced me to new perspectives and narratives, and kept me from the boredom of an uneducated mind. She has supported my development of communication skills, such as public speaking, because she wanted me to be able to speak up for myself and others. She has revealed to me the secrets of cooking and baking. She has inspired me to walk faithfully with the Lord. She has shown me that work and passion can be the same thing. She has reminded me of the importance of rest and renewal. She has encouraged me to be independent and be who the Lord has set me apart to be. She has talked with me as an equal, trusting me with things as she would a friend. She has asked for my opinion before making decisions, which taught me to value my own inner voice. She has always, however, remained my mother before my friend. She has never made me feel like a burden. She has cried with me, laughed with me, sung with me, and stayed with me. She has shown me that I am responsible for my own actions. She has stirred within me a deep desire to serve others. She reprimands me when I am unkind and reminds me to be thoughtful towards everyone. She has praised my accomplishments all the while reminding me to remain humble. She has demonstrated how to have a kind tolerance and love for those whose beliefs are different than my own. She has been there for me every step of the way.
It has been my delight to watch our relationship go through the circumstances of life and bloom into something more sweet and deep. While life has thrown us our fair share of hardships, each one of those has created a strong bond between me and my mother that I wouldn't trade for the world. My “angel mother” will be with me wherever I go, influencing my life more than she might ever know.
