Earning My Title (Day 7)

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.  As I was writing the article earlier today, I kept recalling a meme that occasionally makes its rounds on Facebook.

In honor of today’s feast day, today’s word is:

Mom.

“Mom, mom, mom, mommy, mama, mommeee!”  That is a fantastic summarization of a word many moms hear all. day. long.  At the end of the day, it can sound like nails on a chalkboard, and I admit to not always graciously responding.

Yet, it’s an all-encompassing word.  For many people, that word conjures up definitions for many other words, such as: love, acceptance, hope, safety, selfless, champion, warrior, cheerleader, role model.

**I will take a quick moment to acknowledge that, while many people have beautiful memories of their mothers, there are plenty of others out there who missed out on the words I just used to define, “Mom.”  My heart is sad for those that can’t relate to those synonyms.**

But, this post isn’t about my mom, and it isn’t about moms who fail to live up to (sometimes impossibly) high standards.

Instead, it is about the kind of mom I strive to be.

Recently, my son has asked me several times during Mass why I am, “Looking like Mommy Mary.”  No matter how many days he asks, the same response usually gets a thoughtful stare, and then him moving on to another topic.

I want to be like Mommy Mary!  

I want to love Jesus the way Mommy Mary loves her Son!

I have a whole lot of vices I need to work on – among them are pride, lack of patience, and my tendency to quarrel instead of making peace. And, why should I want to work on turning these vices into virtues?

Because of the happy little faces that are staring at me day in and day out – the little blessings that follow me around, calling my name from every corner of the property.  Because God has trusted me with the most precious of gifts – His children!

In Mary, I see humility, patience, love, and obedience.  I see a woman who, despite her young age, gave a yes to God that would change the course of history!

Ultimately, my children belong to God.  It is up to me, as their mother, to reflect His love and mercy to them, and to foster and encourage they meet Him as they grow.

I strongly believe the way to foster that relationship with Him will be found in my actions toward my children.  I pray they will want to know God through seeing how He works through me, and how I tackle my vices in an effort to create a virtuous life.

At the end of the day, when my children think of calling me mom, I want them to call me that because of my respect, loyalty, and love.

I want them to call me Mom because I earned that title, being the absolute best Mom I can be for them.

**If you’d like to check out what some of my other favorite bloggers are up to during this month’s writing challenge, head on over to Revolution of Love and check out some other great writers!**