Iron Sharpens Iron, Men Strengthen Men

I have always found this interesting in that I have had many friends over the years tell me that they aren’t very close to their moms because of reasons that don’t make any sense to me. I have had friends tell me that they tolerate having their mom around because she participates in taking care of their kids… and I have also had friends tell me their mom had passed on and they desperately wish they had said something or done something different to heal the brokenness between them…but they did not. I can’t imagine the guilt some of these guys have because of what they should have said.

Honestly though, none of these circumstances apply to me when it comes to you Mom. None.

54 years ago, I was blessed to be born to you and Dad because of what I now understand you both stood for in our home. The plain and simple truth, God was at the head of our house and you both followed that path. We were not rich, but that didn’t matter because we were truly blessed and being Christ-centric made a difference in our home. Honestly, when I look back on my childhood, I can only remember the good things, the happy times, and most importantly, the sacrifices you made for my brother and I. Over the years I have figured out that raising kids is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life but without a doubt I learned the “HOW” because of how you raised me.

Looking back, I can see how difficult I was to raise because of one main thing…I was rebellious. I remember flat out…NOT liking being told what to do by anyone. As you well know, I got in trouble in school, with you and Dad, and even at my job. At one point to multiply my poor attitude for all the world to see, I was pulled over by a policeman for a simple taillight problem and he ended up citing me for as many problems as he could find simply because I was such a jerk to him. That is probably something I’ve never told you before but to say the least, it is not something I am very proud of considering how much I have tried to teach my own kids to respect the law. So YEP…YOU got to deal with all of that just from one punk kid.

Years later, when I look back at everything you had to cope with I find I am embarrassed because I realize now that even though I thought I knew everything, I really didn’t know anything. Up to that point, I had ZERO life experience and wasn’t smart enough to listen to you as you tried to explain the “whys” and “why nots” to me. I can’t tell you how thankful I am though that you didn’t give up on me. Thank you for not giving in, and giving up because that would have been the easier road to take. Instead, you and Dad persevered and stayed the course in my life and both of you chose to pray me thorough the mayhem of my teenage years and helped me get to where I finally began to understand some of what you were saying all these years.

The Bible says that, as Iron sharpens Iron, so one man sharpens another in Proverbs, but I can tell you that the solid iron determination that you displayed in my life WAS the difference in me figuring out the “whys”. You made me angry many times but I always knew you loved me and I thank you for that.

Mom, it is extremely important that you understand this from me right now instead of me waiting until it would be to late to say it. Even though I don’t say it enough, I do love you and I thank God that you are my Mom. To be truly honest with you, I couldn’t let one more Mothers Day go by without telling you this. Of course, posting this on my blog for the whole world to see maybe a little too much in your eyes but not in mine.

I truly do wish you the best Mothers Day any Mom could ever have…

I Love you,

Your Eldest son