Tribute To My Mom (A Strong Woman)

Today is my mom’s memorial service. My dad and the four of us kids all wrote something to be shared at the service… and here is what I wrote:

 *     *     *     *

When people talk about my mom, I often hear them say things like, “She lit up the room with her smile,” or “She is so sweet.”

Yes. It’s true. I can’t argue with that.

But I do have something to add.

My mom is a strong woman. And by strong, I mean iron-willed, determined, stubborn, and in charge.

My mom never worked a job – not for a paycheck anyway. But for as long as I’ve known her, she has always been the CEO, visionary, and brains behind our business.

I’m thankful for my strong mom.

She made us memorize Scriptures – and dessert was our reward.

She made me (quite literally, physically) graduate. She told a girl who wasn’t good for me to never call our house again. She made me give 10 percent of my tiny income to the church. She made me save money in my bank account.

She had our family working in the garden, harvesting fruit, making homemade apple juice. She taught me how to cook.

She led us on travels, vacations, adventures – from the time I was a baby until, well, now… just two weeks ago, she was scheming with my daughter about our next trip together.

I am who I am,

know what I know,

believe what I believe,

love who and what I love,

have been where I’ve been,

and am going where I’m going, largely because of this mighty force in my life.

My mom. My strong, determined, in-charge mom. The matriarch.

And I keep wondering, what does a matriarchal family do when it loses its matriarch?

In some ways, I’m sure we will all still hear her voice and sense her pushing us in the way she’d like us to go. But mostly, what I think she’d tell me to do is this…

Obey your wife and listen to your sisters and your daughter.

My mom doesn’t take no for an answer, so that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.

 *     *     *     *

PS: I shared some details about my mom passing away in last Sunday’s message “A Faithful With-ness.” If you’re interesting in hearing more about it, skip ahead to 22:10 in the video below.