One of the women I most admire: Week 2

I've decided that my sister Daniella is like the Greeks and I am like the Romans: she comes up with good ideas and I steal them! Which is why, inspired by her, I am going to try to do a weekly post about a certain theme. (Here's a link to her blog, which is awesome by the way) Last week I wrote about my mother in law, and how she has inspired me, and that got me thinking about other women who have inspired me as well. It's a pretty long list, so I will try to write about one each week. We'll call it my Monday post (although no promises...it may be posted Monday. Or Tuesday. Or Friday. Or not at all...but I plan to try). So here is the second week of "One of the women I most admire." (Note - these are not in a particular order, from "first" to "last" or anything like that. Just as they come to me...")


 I don't have to look far for one of the women - perhaps THE woman - I most admire, because she has been right in front of me my entire life. Yes, of course I am talking about my own mother! I think as a kid you love your mom and admire her without really thinking about it, but once you grow up - and especially once you have kids of your own - you finally realize just how amazing your mom is! Right after giving birth to my first child, I turned and looked at my mom, who had helped me through it, and said "Mom, I am SO sorry for everything wrong I ever did to you!" And if just having the baby is that hard and painful, well... I think parenting gets even harder from there!

Mom holding Joseph, her first grandchild, right after he was born. I never would have made it through his birth without her!

Its hard to know what to write about my mom, simply because there is SO much I could write about! It would take a book - maybe a trilogy - to talk about everything she has done and been for me. Everything I know about being a mother, I learned from her. She had the courage to do things differently, both from the way she had been raised and the way society said they should be done, and instead based her parenting decisions on the Bible and her convictions about it. She is a black-and-white person in a gray world; she is always searching for God's best instead of compromising on what's "ok" or "not so bad." I confess that sometimes was frustrating or embarrassing to me as a teenager, but the older I get, the more I realize how important it is to be unwilling to compromise on the truth.

Mom and I being silly as she helps me get ready for my wedding

My mom is the most unselfish person I know. She is always doing something to serve someone else, whether its watching a young mother's kids so she can get some rest, or making a meal for someone who is sick, or inviting someone who is lonely over for dinner. Her first two reactions upon hearing any bad news are "I will pray for them" and "what can I bring them?" I know that she has her faults, that she is not perfect, but I have seen her daily live out her faith for 27 years, and there is no one I admire more. She is a constant example and source of encouragement to me, and I call her at least once a week to say, "Mom! Help! How do I..." and she always has a good answer for me.

Right now she's out of town, and I miss her a lot! Getting together with Mom is always the highlight of my week, and I can't wait until she gets back so I can see her again. My kids wake up saying "Can we go to Grammie's house?" every morning, and I echo that sentiment wholeheartedly!

I can't think of a higher compliment than to have people say "she is like her mother." I hope someday I will earn that honor.  


" Her children arise and call her blessed; 
   her husband also, and he praises her: 
 “Many women do noble things, 
   but you surpass them all.” 
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; 

   but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 
Honor her for all that her hands have done, 

  and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

Proverbs 31:28-31