You have no idea how much I love Mother’s Day, and not just because I’m a mother. I mean, I am a mother of three wonderful kids and I’m waiting for my Mother’s Day special breakfast on my bed now. But I love Mother’s Day because I have a mother I always want a reason to honor and cherish!

I praise God for blessing my life in countless ways but from all the blessings God poured out in my life, being blessed by a mother such as my mom is I believe is one of the top blessings I count in my life. I want to share with you all one of my favorites mom’s childhood pictures. My mom was sixteen or seventeen in this picture.

My mom taught me timeless life lessons which will live with me for the rest of my life. My mom is naturally a leader. She is a wonderful public speaker with a brilliant mind which is wired to think in different and unique ways and angles. She is naturally a physician! Seriously! My mom knows exactly what is bothering you if you tell her where it hurts.

She is a very peaceful person. Well, she didn’t start out like that. She lost her mom at a young age and her grandma died at the age of nine and after that life was a bit tough on her. So, she learned how to stand for herself early on. Of course many people didn’t like that; they wanted her to be quiet and do what she is told to do. Well, that ain’t happen since she is a tough but sweet woman. Her sense of humor is something I can’t get tired of. She knows tons and tons of jokes and I love to sit and listen to those jokes! My mom has a mind of her own! Oh, I can’t tell you how proud I am of her!

I wish I could write you all the beautiful stories of my mom; her courage and wisdom, what she chose to do when the going got tough. Yes, with all the bumpy rides of marriage, she held on to her marriage. Through it all, my mom kept us, her kids, together even if my dad at one point of his life rebelled against her and his God.

My mom thinks about the future and prepares herself for it before it comes! One day – I think I was nine or ten years old – I went to her and asked, “Mom, isn’t it boring to marry and live with one man EVERYDAY of your life?”

I still remember the terror in her eyes when I asked her that question. I even remember the spot I was standing when I asked her that question.

That was like a lifetime prayer request I gave her. From that day on, she prayed for me so that I would marry a man I won’t get tired of being married to.

In one of her visits here in the US, I took her to the mall and bought nice outfit for me and for her. Then the next day, I came downstairs with my usual sport outfit and she asked, “Where are the clothes you bought yesterday?”

I said, “Mom, I won’t go anywhere today. I will wear it when I go somewhere special.”

She smiled and said, “Who told you that you’re going to have tomorrow. Life is today. Go and wear that outfit and look good in your own home. If tomorrow comes with a special occasion to go to, you will wear it again.”

Oh, her timeless wisdom is something we all her kids sit and talk whenever we meet. Do you mind if I leave her “a Happy Mother’s Day” note here for her? I hope you won’t. My brother or my niece will read it for her. She can’t see clearly now anymore: (that statement alone made my eyes wet because she used to read and write a lot):

My mom, happy Mother’s Day! I wish I could be next to you today so that I could kiss and hug you! Thank you, Mom, for showing me how to love my kids to the point of forsaking my life! Thank you, Mom, for teaching me never to quit in life and never to hurt anyone. I will never ever forget your advice that goes like this: “Never hurt anyone in your life; instead be the one to get hurt; and God will always be your advocate!” Oh, Mom, I strive to do that every day even if at times it is hard to do so.

Mom, you know what I always pray? Well, I always pray so that God will teach me how to watch out for the words I choose to utter as you always do. Mom, I guess I am very emotional now and I don’t think I can say much but let me say this: I will never forget what you said to me when I graduated from pharmacy school. You said, “My daughter, my mom died when I was little and I don’t even know her, but I heard that she used to love to read and write and wished to have a bachelor degree or something. I wanted to fulfill her dream of going to school and getting a degree in medicine or something but I couldn’t since I had to support myself early on. But now I see that God is fulfilling my mom’s dream and my own dream through you. Thank you my daughter for making me this proud!” Mom, with all the guests standing there and congratulating me, your words were like a beautiful melody that kept on playing in my mind again and again and again.

I love you very much, mom! And Mom, I am not tired of being married with my husband! I still enjoy seeing him every morning lying next to me. Thank you for praying for me so that I marry one man and never get tired of him! I love you Mom with a kind of love I can’t even express! I wish you a Happy Mother’s Day! ///