Our Hero is Mom

She’s up before for all nine kids, and as they wipe the sleep from their eyes, grumbling about the cruel reality of having to rise from bed, breakfast is already on the table, and she’s off to another chore.

Nearly 20 years of homeschooling these young ones. Never with everything she needs. Always feeling behind. A husband constantly gone, leaving her to manage the house, teach the kids, and more often than not, lose herself in serving others. She isn’t even finished with them all and she already has a law student on a full-ride, and another with an MBA, both always Dean’s list or better.

Through sickness and tragedy, when money was so tight that spare change in a couch cushion felt like a blessing, in moments of doubt and exhaustion, she’s been the one making sure we did our morning prayers, made it to church, and put God first. The kids and I will always treasure the memory of evening dinners, always nutritious and delicious, gathered around the knight-sized table that somehow held all of us rebels.

She puts my own trials in perspective, and more importantly, humbles my vanity and ego. Her example is selfless, while mine often falls short. I may provide much, but I frequently give in to my own wishes and desires. If we could all be like her, the world would be a magical place. Every meal an opportunity for a memory.

The road of love and service is hard. But it’s the path where true grace is found. If you have someone like that in your life, give them thanks. Go out of your way to lighten their load. Let their example shape your own journey.