Happy Mothering!
I had no idea how to be a mother since my own mother died when I was just six months old. But I was relentless looking for role-models to teach me. When searching for mentors I would not look for the most put-together parents, but rather I looked at the character that made up their children or teens.
Two mothers stand out to me as I reflect on that time of great growth; Cynthia Heald and Jean Fleming; both from Tucson, AZ. I frequently visited their homes and saw their children respond in kindness and respect towards one another and to their parents.
Cynthia taught me how to follow-through with every word I spoke to our child. I mean what I say when I say it. Truthfully, that was monumental to me as I initially thought that was an unloving and insensitive way to parent, but quite the opposite as our children came to trust and respect our words. That is just good mothering!
Jean taught me that our children were more important than company! Psalm 101:2 says, "I will walk in my house with a blameless heart.” Jean says that passage forced her to ask, “Am I more spiritual, more loving or more fun somewhere else? Who gets my best, my family or others? How easy to allow the pressure of company to determine my values. My guest will only be here for a few hours, but I will live with my children many years.” (From A Mother’s Heart by Jean Fleming) That is just good mothering!
Happy mother’s day to Cynthia and Jean and to all you moms who are committed to good mothering!
