Happy Mother's Day

I was so overwhelmed by what I had to do today that I decided to just waste the day and go to the local shops. For some reason, I ended up at Toys-R-Us. I stopped by the video game section and started playing an Xbox. A few minutes of trying to figure out the game, a young man - with his mom in tow - picked up the second player controller and, asking my permission, began to play against me. He seemed to know his way around the game and it got to the point where he started beating me. When my competitive alter-ego took over, I suddenly realized whose company I was in, so I eased off a little, allowing the young man to proudly show off to his lovely mom how he had beaten me.
I smiled, she smiled back and gave me a Thank You nod and a wink.
I wished her Happy Mother's Day.

When I sat in the pews at church today, I noticed two tables full of carnations at the front of the auditorium. Once service started, the preacher explained what the carnations were for and then asked young people - ages ranging from 1 to 65, to come up and pick up a carnation for each mom in their lives. Single moms, grandmas, great-grandma, new moms, moms with adopted children all received carnations.
When most of the carnations were handed out, I picked up two carnations and took them to a couple of special shut-ins after the service.
This is the one day of the year when we celebrate our moms. And let’s face it, mothers do so much for us: They cook good food for us to eat; they turn a house into a home; they mend our wounds; they console us when we face disappointments; they cheer for us when we do something well; and, perhaps their greatest contribution is that they instruct us about life What do they teach us? Let me suggest a few things:
• Mothers teach us about foresight: "Make sure you wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident."
• Mothers teach us about logic: "If you fall out of that tree and break your neck, don’t come crying to me."
• Mothers teach us about maturity: "Eat your vegetables or you’ll never grow up."
• Mothers teach us about religion: "You better pray that comes out of the carpet."
• Mothers teach us about time travel: "If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
• Mothers teach us about contradictions: "Shut your mouth and eat your dinner!"
• Mothers teach us about contortionism: "Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck?"
• Mothers teach us about perseverance: "You are going to sit here until you eat every last piece of that broccoli."
• Mothers teach us about genetics: "You’re just like your father."
• Mothers teach us about the weather: "It looks like a tornado swept through your room."
• Mothers teach us about the circle of life: "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

With a smile on my face, I wish y'all Happy Mother's day.


Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other." The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!" But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!" Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother." 1 Kings3: 24-27