Have you chatted with your mom lately ?

This evening, while my wife was at the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert with a dear friend, my mom came over to "chat" and it was great!



My mom holding Myra
the day she was born.

 She sat with us as I read two chapters of our Christmas Advent Book (more info on that to follow in another blog later this month) to the kids.  She joined in for our nightly prayers and gave the kids hugs and kisses as they headed off to bed.  Then she helped me look for pacifiers for Myra (somehow three of them disappeared in under 15 minutes, but we finally found one and were able to get her to sleep).

And then ... we chatted.

I love my mom.  She is a wonderful woman and was/is a very good mother.  She is terribly insecure about these things and is quick to suggest that it is a miracle I turned out so good (the jury is still out on that one mom!) with how she raised me.  But we ALL know the truth: she did a fine job raising me!


My wonderful parents !
(Julie and Jerry Case)



One of my worst roles (of the many I play in life) is that of a "son."  I'm not very good at reaching out to my parents at all, unless I need their help with something.  In that way, not much has changed since I was an unruly teenager.  And yet, our relationship has evolved in many other ways.  We are friends first and share our respective "wisdom" (they have much more of that by far) openly.  The communication is among adults and no longer "parent / child".  But I still have a long way to go in reaching out to my mom (and my dad) "just to chat."  I know they will not be available on this earth forever and I should take advantage of their presence now while I still can.

I have such respect for my mother and her lifetime of experiences.  This evening we were able to have a very stirring conversation about progressing in our ability to overcome our own crosses that we bear.  No single person has the same struggle or challenge as another, but regardless of the challenge, it is as real and difficult for that person as your own personal struggle is.  If we could remember that simple truth, we would find it much easier to succor one another than fault find or judge unrighteously that our own challenge is much more difficult than another's.

Thanks for all you have taught me so far, and all that you will continue to teach me mom!  I might be an "adult" with six wonderful children of my own, but you'll always be my "mommy" ... and I am ever so thankful for that!

I love you mom!

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