“If I know what love is,
it is because of you.” 
Hermann Hesse

In our home this morning, we will celebrate Mother’s Day. Our three boys and their families will be here for a feast of breakfast burritos from La Victoria Taqueria in San José. There will be a dozen of us altogether. I’m fairly certain that no one will walk away hungry.

Kathy most certainly deserves to be recognized and appreciated on Mother’s Day. She has been, and continues to be, an amazing mother to our three boys. She is also a loving, nurturing grandma (or “Mama”) to our five grandchildren. The love Kathy has and shares with our sons and grandkids is reflective of the unconditional love God has for us. 

For me, today has a bit of a different focus. I’m grateful that Kathy has embraced her role as “Mom” and “Mama” to the next two generations, but she is not MY mother. Even though my mother has been gone for more than a year now, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for everything she did for me throughout my lifetime. Mom’s love, too, was unconditional. There were a number of times when she might have been disappointed by something I said, did, or failed to do, yet she never wavered in her love for me. Her love was not dependent upon my actions. It was just there — always. A sacramental experience, for sure.

The way Mom loved my siblings and me is a perfect example of my favorite definition of “love,” which is: “to seek the highest good for the other person.” Mom committed herself to doing this until the day she died. She was kind, generous, understanding, supportive, and courageous. She taught me how to be aware of the needs of others. She taught me how to treat people with respect and dignity. She taught me the importance of punctuality, self-reliance, honesty, hard work, and self-care. She taught me how to express myself clearly in both written and spoken forms. When it comes right down to it, Mom was not only my first teacher, but also my best.

So as we gather today as a family to celebrate Kathy’s ministry of motherhood, I do so with fond, grateful memories of my own Mom, as well.