Illustrations

In his book, Moments for Mothers, Robert Strand wrote about the conflicts of a family in Glasgow, Scotland. After years of rebellion, a daughter finally rejected her parents, their values, and their faith. She set out on her own to enjoy a life without restraints, but soon became enslaved to her liberated choices.

A little girl was trying very hard to take care of her sick mother. She did everything to make her mom feel more comfortable in bed, then quietly slipped into the kitchen. She had seen her mother make hot tea for her father when he was sick, so she set out to do the same for her ailing mom. With cup and saucer in hand, she took the tea into the bedroom and her mother was touched by this sweet act of compassion. The mother showered her daughter with praise and then said, “I didn’t know you could make tea.”

Position: Mother, Mom, Mama

Job description: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings, weekends, and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

My mother taught me to appreciate a job well done.
“If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.” 

My mother taught me religion.
“You better pray that will come out of the carpet.”

My mother taught me about time travel.
“If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week!”

My mother taught me logic.
“Because I said so, that’s why.”

On April 23, 2008, Dr. Michael DeBakey received the Congressional Gold Medal for his legacy in heart surgery. President Bush said, “His legacy is holding the fragile and sacred gift of human life in his hands and returning it unbroken,” during the ceremony.

Dr. DeBakey invented many medical devices and operations, performed the first successful heart bypass operation and saved countless lives.

Here’s how several elementary school students answered the following questions about moms:

Why did God make mothers?
She’s the only one who knows where the Scotch tape is.
Mostly to clean the house.

How did God make mothers?
He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
Magic, plus superpowers and a lot of stirring.
God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

No matter the size of her family or ages of her children, any woman who wants to have some time alone can always find it by simply doing the dishes.

Source: Unknown

Termites ate 10 million rupees ($222,000) in money that was stored at a bank in a steel chest. The manager of the bank in Barabanki, India discovered the damage on April 20, 2011. Termites had damaged furniture in the bank before.

Matthew 6:19
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek, April 22,2011

Salary.com conducted a survey in 2010 that attempted to place a monetary value on the work of a stay-at-home mom. They determined that if mothers were to be paid for their ten most common tasks in the home (laundry machine operator, janitor, van driver, computer operator, housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, chief executive officer, psychologist, and facilities manager) they would be paid $117,855.86. The largest piece of the pie came from overtime pay as a man works from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.

Four brothers left home for college and became successful doctors and lawyers. Some years later, they chatted after having dinner together. They discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother who lived far away in another city.