My journey this week takes me to a special day, Mother’s Day. Recall that Jesus’ first word after his Resurrection was “Woman,” spoken to Mary Magdalene at the tomb site. Women are special in the Spiritual life of our families and churches.
Today, I honor the five moms in my life:
1. My mom, Alice, who passed in 1992, transplanted from Houston to a farm/ranch in Sylvester, Texas, who married my dad during the Great Depression. I always remember she would say, “We are on your side.” Fierce, loving, kind, she meant it.
2. Judy, who married me while I was home on extension leave from Vietnam as an infantry company commander. I first met Judy and her mother, Jewell Edwards, at the Trent Skating Rink when she was 13, but we did not date until she was 18. Until we married in June 1967, ours was an “on-off-on-off” date record; but when we stood before the preacher in Rotan to be married, Judy’s thought was, “I will never forgive myself if I am not his wife and he gets shot in ‘Nam.” Fifty-four years later, through three kids, military and ministry, she has been my partner and best friend. By the way, she edits every column.
3. Jennifer Lynn, born in 1970, is an amazing mom. Jenny birthed her two children while in the UAE when husband, Jason, worked overseas for Occidental Oil Company. Ian and Zoe are great children, but Jenny has loved them so much they could not be any other way. Jenny graduated from Texas State (before the name change) in four years with a major in geography, and, until recently, had a career at USGS. Presently, she is receiving chemo at MD Anderson, and she is doing it with grace to grace.
4. Julie Anna, born in 1978, is a healer and a writer in New York City. A “spark-plug” who calls San Marcos her hometown, she has earned the reputation of “Baby Whisperer” as a holistic doctor specializing in fertility. In a recent email, she writes, “The mothers that I have worked with, as well as those I call my friends, are currently in an epic crisis, one that stretches back for decades, and that has reached a crisis point...We take a few steps forward in being treated equally, only to slide downhill. We need not look further for a relevant example than the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of 2 million American women, who dropped out of the US workforce to provide emergency educational, psychological and physical support to their children last year, often leaving them rationalizing dissatisfaction and how they were coaxed into complacency. Today, I find that in mothers `Burnout’ struggle through illness, divorce, addiction, isolation and depression. Moms are ready and needful of support through our society’s laws that leave us full at the end of the day instead of tired and without energy. I still have faith in what Margaret Mead said, `Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’ Mothers are the most powerful and capable group of citizens that I have encountered, and although we are tired (exhausted at times) we are certainly not small. And we are ready for change.” Julie’s a wonderful single mother to Anna, works hard and I proudly share her thoughts in this column.
5. My daughter-in-law, Rain, grew up in the 1970s in a “flower-child” environment on the west coast. Married to our son, Jim David, she is a working professional and mother to Max and Caleb and has been the backbone of that Lanning family from the time they married in New York City to their presentday life in Portland, Oregon.
Mothers who are reading this column: Thank You and may God bless you. Recall an incredibly young woman, Mary-mother to Jesus, who when hearing the Angel call her “Blessed are you among women...” replied, “My Soul doth magnify the Lord”(Luke 1:46). May your soul be filled with the Love of God whatever your age or circumstance.
