Motherly Love

As part of a 3-part string of blogs leading up to my mother’s birthday, I thought it would be nice to write a few things about the woman who raised me.

A Mother’s Love

Growing up, one of the things I heard constantly from other mothers about my mom was “I don’t know how you do it.” or they referenced her as “Supermom” for being able to have the number of children she did; six kids: Steven, Lydia, Aaron, Mark, Julia, Joshua. As I’ve gotten older and realized the amount of time it takes to run a household, let alone to care for two fish tanks, it hits home just how incredible it was that she was able to manage our household as well as she did, including homeschooling all of us!

One of the principles I grew up with was “Greater love has no man than he lay down his life for his friends” and I think the type of love we see in motherhood, particularly that of my mother, is a perfect example of this.

When I was in kindergarten, my parents decided it would be best to homeschool us rather than keep us in the private school we attended. With only my father to provide for the household, I can’t believe this to have been an easy decision to have made. I think this showed an active example of the love she had for her children, as she invested her time/life into us, as well as the limited resources she had to ensure we received an education far above the norm.

While I can look back and remember never taking the normal courses, such as chemistry, in my homeschool education, mom was a champion of providing extracurricular activities that provided a deep and enriched educational experience far outside the materials I would have received in a public school setting. She devoted countless hours taking us to the many libraries in Columbus, the Columbus Zoo, Smithsonian Museums, metro parks, art galleries, and public landmarks such as the Ohio Statehouse, National Mall,  Aquariums, and factory tours (Celestial Tea Co., Wonderbread, National Mint, to name a few).

A remarkable characteristic of my mom was that she was able to allocate quality time with each and every one of her kids. It was a wonder, really. She took the time and effort to find the things that interested each of us and was able to come up with the resources needed to let us explore these interests. She bought Lydia a harp, Steve got an accordion, and there was always at least one piano in our household. She loves music.

She was very forward thinking in some of her parenting/educational methods. All of us took typing classes and were proficient writers before puberty. This skill set still comes in handy to this day.

If I had to say one thing about my mother, it was that she loves her children above and beyond anything else in this world. She truly put us first, even ahead of her own needs/wants, in order to build and develop us into upstanding individuals. My mother loves her children. 

To this day, my mom still refers to me as her ‘baby bear’ – a term she’s used since I was a young child where we would turn off the lights in the bathroom and pretend to be bears hibernating in a cave.

While she is an avid lover of music, my mom would refer to ‘beautiful music’ as the sound of the washing machine, dishwasher, and dryer running. She enjoyed this orchestra far more times than she was able to sit down and hear live symphony music.

The greatest act of love I’ve ever witnessed was as  my mom cared for my father through his battle with cancer. It takes great heart and love to stand by somebody – especially somebody who had his flaws and failures – and remain strong with him to the end. I never heard her complain one single time as she faithfully stood by him, draining and replacing his colostomy bag or holding his hand while he was in hospice.

This writing doesn’t do my mother the justice or recognition she deserves. Were I capable of doing so, there are many, many more things I wish were possible to do for her, such as another surprise visit home for her birthday, a gold Haynes flute, or simply five minutes of peace.

It’s been said the way you treat your mother is a good reflection of how you will treat your wife. While her and I have had some rocky times during the years, what hasn’t changed – even through the turbulence – is an undying bond of love, respect, and desire to see each other be as happy as possible.

For my mother, a woman who goes beyond description for her character, virtue, sacrifice, and endless love.

I love you.

Your Son,

Aaron

Featured Image From Deviantart