By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
My wife Joyce recently added a new T-shirt to her collection. It reads: “When Mama Ain’t Happy, Nobody’s Happy — When Grandma Ain’t Happy, Run!”
While it may not be good grammar, those are still good words of advice.
The one thing I have discovered, however, is that it takes a whole lot more for the grandkids to make Grandma unhappy than it does me — or the kids.
As Mother’s Day approaches on May 9, that should be a reminder to all of us to treat those special women in our life — wives, mothers, grandmothers, special aunts who are more like moms or grandmas, etc. — especially well. If your mother or grandmother has already passed from this earth, remember those special memories of her.
Lonnie Wilkey
Mothers are truly a blessing from God, and Scripture tells us to honor our mothers (and fathers, too).
Proverbs 31:25-26 reminds us, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”
Then in Proverbs 31:31, we are told to “Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gates.”
As I have gotten older, one of my greatest joys is watching my children as they have become parents.
I especially enjoy seeing how my daughter, Joanna, is such a wonderful mom to her two boys, who are now 6 and 8.
Joanna learned well the patience and love that her mom displayed toward her and her brother, Daniel, when they were at their worst. She also has learned that love requires discipline even “when it hurts you more than it does them.”
Our son, Daniel, and his wife, Jill, are parents of our 14-month old granddaughter, Clara, and they are doing a great job in their new roles as a mom and dad.
Joyce was and is still a great teacher/role model as a mother and now grandmother. I know our children would agree.
And, a word of advice for people who get overly concerned about buying a perfect gift for Mom. Don’t worry as much about the gift as you do about spending time with her.
As we age, time is precious. An hour or two spent with your Mom on Mother’s Day is one of the best things you can do for her and yourself.
Mothers, indeed, are a blessing and a gift from God. B&R
