The Hands That Held Us Together: A Mother's Day Reflection

Celebrating My Mom

She was so beautiful, and I wish I had told her that more. I wish I had taken more pictures of her and with her. She did everything for all of us. She couldn’t stand anyone not eating in her presence. She would pretty much spoon-feed you if you said you weren’t hungry. She made the best dumplings, the best sweet tea, the best everything. 

She would drag us out of bed every single Sunday morning of my childhood to make sure we were in Sunday school. I can remember that she served refreshments at Vacation Bible School every summer. She always made sure I got the purple popsicle because those were my favorite. 

She was bound and determined that I was going to be the first person in my family to get a college education and she was proud as punch on my first day of teaching!

She was silly. She had the best laugh. Oh, but she could be mean when she needed to be. Mostly on the end of protecting my brother and me. She never let anyone mess with us!

As I sit down to write this on what is my third Mother’s Day without her physical presence, my heart is both heavy and full. Heavy because I miss her every day more than words can express. Full because I am so privileged to have had her as my mother. 

Unsung Hero

Proverbs 31:28-29 says, Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.

I finally get it now; as her child, I am so BLESSED!  She shaped the best parts of who I am today. The mom I am. The wife I am. The Godly woman I aspire every day to be. 

Lessons Woven with Faith

Mom taught me countless lessons woven deeply with the threads of her faith. She believed and lived by Philippians 4:13; I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  This scripture was not just words to her; it was a living, breathing promise she leaned on, one she passed down to us in every challenge we faced. She did it in her own quiet yet powerful way.  No one loved her children or grandchildren more than my mother, and she wanted us to know the love of Jesus, to live right by Him, and to make it to Heaven one day, too.

A Legacy of Quiet Strength

There's a quiet strength in mothers that often goes unnoticed until you find yourself walking a day in their shoes. There are things that my mom sacrificed for us that I didn’t even know about until after she passed. Generational struggles, patterns, and maybe even curses that she protected my brother and me from that we never even knew about. My momma demonstrated strength and caring, much like Mary, the mother of Jesus, who bravely and faithfully accepted her role in God’s plan. Luke 1:45 blesses her belief: Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!

Celebrating Her Everyday

While Mother’s Day is a special occasion to honor our mothers, I find myself celebrating her every day. In the small moments, like feeling her presence at my daughter’s soccer games or making a recipe that she used to make that I know my kids remember, or in the big moments when I make decisions that reflect the lessons she taught me.

Forever in My Heart

As another Mother’s Day passes, I am reminded of the promise in Matthew 5:4, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. I find comfort in knowing that she is with our Savior and in the legacy of love she left behind, which continues to guide and inspire me.

As we celebrate today, whether your mother is with you physically or in Heaven, let’s hold onto the lessons they’ve imparted and the unconditional love they’ve shared. Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible moms here and remembered.

And remember, take the pictures, take all the pictures.

I love you, Momma.

Your daughter,

Erica