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Mothering

Mothers are the lifeblood of our best days on earth. It’s a role not chosen but gifted. And those willing to rise to the occasion shape the planet one laboring gesture at a time. From the act of childbirth to Sunday school to wiping a bloody lip, they exhibit selflessness. And in an age where we can command gadgets to relay anything at a moment’s notice (our every whim really), this is a fresh example.

It still takes nine months for this gift to arrive. The virgin Mary to our own parental DNA, they are all embedded with the will to survive, to nurture. We cry and are comforted. The diaper is changed before a nasty rash settles in. Food and sustenance are supplied by our caretakers. We bask and rest in summer months filled with sunshine and endless amounts of Vitamin D.

My own is someone I cannot even begin to describe. She deserves more than tangible gifts on a single Sunday in May. I laugh when websites suggest gifts for me to send her way on Mother’s Day. What could I ever share with her that equates to the gift of life? Can a person come remotely close to delivering something so substantial as their own date of birth?

My own wife, and best friend, is developing our own gift right this very moment. A date stated as her own date of birth in late summer. She glows with the radiance of new life beneath her. The stomach nests baby much like a mother hen caring for her own. Inside great things are at work, and I marvel at what is hidden, what kicks and jolts the epidermis after some watermelon is munched down.

The skin of life stretches and new cells form. But unlike a yawning biology class, this is visible and mystifying. God’s own world growing before the naked eye. I watch and am comforted by the unknowable development. Something man cannot alter or create in a million lifetimes if he tried. The embryo that makes us all and hatches new wonders minute-by-minute. Time is paused and clocks are rendered useless while mothers do what only they can.

Birth without a death in sight is peace-filled, and worry is thankfully forgotten. Thanks being given to the Divine and for the mothers who created us into a world made better for it.

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7 Phrases That Will Make Your Life Easier

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1. God bless you –

As I write this blog, I realize how much of a role God plays in EVERY thing. Having food, friends, a job, etc. are all results of God’s provision. Family to share life with. There are an infinite amount of reasons this phrase should be uttered more (and, yes, I mean beyond the usage after a person sneezes…although, that IS kind and thoughtful.)

2. Have a great day –

Not like the McDonald’s send-off from the drive-thru window. (Although, I’ve issued quite a few of those myself. And…I don’t miss that green viser at all.) I mean the really genuine use of it. Smile when you see a person, talk with them, and especially when they depart. To care about another person’s day shows them (and yourself) that you really do CARE about the life they’re living.

3. Thank you –

Oh, where has this kind sentiment gone? May it be restored beyond the fake transactions we’ve grown accustomed to. Whether it be at the checkout lane (with a real person) or simply expressing an everyday gratitude via email, be sure to say this one from deep down. It’s overused but never means more than when it’s used with conviction.

4. You’re welcome –

Like ‘Thank you,’ the sentiment of essentially saying ‘You’re worth it’ goes a long way. Chik-fil-A has re-instilled kindness in the fast food industry. They say ‘My pleasure’ when you say ‘Thanks’ to them. It could be an example to all of us. Serving others makes us realize everyone matters.

5. I love you –

Try saying that to people that are closest to you. (Yesterday was Mother’s Day. That’s a good starting point. Mom.) Work out from there to extend to people that you find it a little more taxing to say these words to. (I promise I’m not trying to get anyone arrested here!) But, if you (and I) can say that to our friends on the “fringe,” imagine what we can mean/do/say when we can extend to complete strangers.

6. I forgive you –

We could all write a book about this one. To love someone and say ‘I love you’ essentially trumps (or, goes hand-in-hand) with forgiveness. It’s hard to love someone when you haven’t truly forgiven them. To let the past GO makes loving someone that much easier. (I wrestle a lot with this one.) But, in the moments where I’ve been able to say “it’s forgiven”, I’ve been able to exhale and live life a lot better. Try it. (Hope my ‘let the past go’ comment didn’t send you in the way of FROZEN.)

7. See you soon –

A great way, again, to say you love someone. Thinking of just yesterday, and my mom departing from Chattanooga made me realize how great this common phrase can be, when we really put our heart behind our words. “See you soon” can be “I love you” and “God bless you” all at once, if it’s said from deep, deep, down.

 

7 Phrases That Will Make Your Life Easier