Episode 49: Special Mother’s Day Message
Click here for the full transcript of this episode.
Mother Remembered
Recently, I've been thinking about all the ways that my mom demonstrated and taught me about God's love. She was not a spiritual person, yet she believed in God. She never uttered an oral prayer, yet she prayed constantly for her children. Her house adorned no photos of Christ or religious symbols, yet she had unwavering faith in God's plan and in God's timing. The unconditional love she consistently demonstrated for me gave me hope in the possibility that maybe even God could love me unconditionally too.
It wasn't until I became a mother myself that I began to understand the depth and power of my mother's love for me.
One morning, during a morning walk, I pictured my mom and dad in their indescribable grief mourning the death of their first two babies. In particular, I pictured my mom lying in her hospital bed overcome by such profound feelings of loss. In my mind's eye, I pictured my four children and me (in our premortal state) kneeling around her, crying with her, and whispering words of encouragement and hope. I imagine us telling her to hold on, to not lose faith. And we reassured her that she would have the family she longed for someday.
God's Perfect Timing
My mom always held to the hope that God had a plan for her. She would say, "God wouldn't take my two babies unless He had a plan for us."
And that He did. Sixteen years after the loss of their second baby, my parents adopted my brother, Morgan. 18 months later, they adopted me. A few months after that, my mom found out she was pregnant with my little brother, Wes. After 20 years of marriage, in three quick years, my parents had three children. And their life was full.
On December 26, 2017, my daughter, Raechel, and her husband, Devon, knelt across the altar of the temple as proxies for my mom and dad. Moments later, I knelt at the same altar and became Mom and Dad's "real" daughter for all eternity.
The last time I saw my mom, I hugged her and told her I loved her. While I was gathering my things to walk out the door, I heard her call my name. When I turned around, she was walking toward me clutching her walker. “What?” I said. She smiled and said, “I love you.”
I thought it was strange because we had said, “I love you,” just a moment earlier. But I walked over to her, gave her a hug, and kissed her cheek. “I love you too, Mom,” I said.
Those were our last words to each other. And still, it didn’t feel like it was enough.
Do ONE Thing
This week, let us not only honor our mothers for giving us the gift of life but for those of you for whom it is not too late to do so, please tell your mom how much you love her. And make sure you tell her WHY you love her! She needs to know what part of being a mom she managed to get right.
And then? Remember to say it to her often. Not just every 2nd Sunday in May.
Happy Mother’s Day to you--whether you’re a mom, a grandma, an aunt, a sister, a friend, or someone who will become a mother someday, either in this life or the next.
And Mom, happy Mother’s Day to you in Heaven. I miss you every day, and love you!
To listen to this episode on Spotify, iTunes, or another podcast platform, click here.
Resources
"Behold Thy Mother" Thomas S. Monson, Oct. 1973
Follow me on Instagram @melinda.r.morgan
Follow me on Facebook @Let's Get Edified