uncommon tribute

Mother's Day.  Celebrated far and wide.  Around tables, in churches, over the phone, in restaurants, in parks, backyards, visiting, laughing.  Celebrating.

I love that.

But I can't help but think about so many women who are childless on Mother's Day.  The ones who have lost a baby, a child, a teenager, an adult child.  The ones who never had a child, whether they wanted one desperately, never got around to it, or chose not to have one.  The ones who are estranged.  The ones who are forgotten.  This is probably not a day to celebrate for them.

However, HOWEVER.  We SHOULD celebrate every woman we know on this day, regardless of their "mother" status.  Because every woman on this planet has had an impact on many, many people.  Think about all the other women in your lives besides your mother that have made a difference in your life.  Stop.  Think.  There are countless numbers of them, right?  School teachers.  Sunday school teachers.  Neighbors.  Your friends' moms. Your friends now. Mentors.  And more than likely, some of them are not mothers in the celebrating Mother's Day kind of way.  But more than likely, we would not be who were are today without them.

For me, I was shaped and molded and made who I am by my mothers (I happen to have two ... that's a whole 'nother blog.)  I am so grateful to both of them and I love them so much.  I am blessed beyond measure to have not only the two of them but also my mother-in-law still here with me, and all three of them actively involved in my life.

I can also think of many other women who have poured into my life and made a difference, young and old, rich and poor, skinny and ... well you get the drift.  Some of them are mothers, some of them are not. They don't replace my mothers. But I am thankful for each and every one of them.

So today, as you celebrate your mothers, consider reaching out this coming week to some of the other women who have impacted your life.  They may not even know they made a difference, and you might just make their day.