We all know how important moms are.  They are our teachers, nurturers, guidance counselors, cheerleaders and critics.  Even if we don’t do that good of a job as a parent, our children love us and learn from us.  It’s a role that you can’t really lose in.

Whatever you utter out of your mouth as a mother is taken seriously by the child and may affect him/her for years to come.  I got really lucky to have a mom that took her role seriously.   That isn’t to say that it was all hunky dorey.  It wasn’t, but learning isn’t easy.  What it did was give me the life tools I needed to succeed as a human being at all levels.    I also got really lucky that I got to have my mom around for a very long time, which wasn’t supposed to be in the cards.  She had serious surgery when I was 18 and she was not given long to live.  But she chose life.  She chose it with a gusto I have seldom seen.  That in itself taught me to appreciate her and my life even more.

This is the first Mother’s Day that I won’t be with her physically.  As a prelude to this day honoring mothers everywhere, I have included the eulogies that were delivered at her prayer service on April 15, 2015.  It includes a message from my father and brother, me, and then my sister.  My daughter sings a song that describes her experience with Mom.  These are the life lessons we have learned from her.  Next week, my daughter, Marika, and I will talk about the messages that Mom has since sent through both her and me.

They have brought comfort to me and my family.  I hope they give you hope and a lift up as well.

Hear a replay of this special radio program: