When You Don't Have Words for Mom

It’s been called the second most popular gift giving holiday after Christmas. I think it’s a great opportunity to express appreciation to our mothers. My mother struggles with osteoporosis and about a week ago, she slipped and fell breaking her leg. The bone shattered and they had to operate and put it back together with a couple of metal plates. For this particular Mother’s Day, my mom will be in a rehab hospital getting some physical therapy so she can walk again. It’s been difficult to know what to say in these situations and find the words of encouragement. None-the-less, I’ve been trying. The heavy weight of helping mom has fallen to my sister who lives nearby. Every time when we’ve talked on the phone, I’ve tried to express my gratitude for my sister’s care of mom in this difficult time of her life.

I don’t know what sort of communication you have with your mom. Last week I received a beautiful new gift book from Heather Ivester. As a daughter, she knows the love for her mom—but also three of Heather’s children are daughters. The book is called From a Daughter’s Heart to her Mom, 50 Reflections on Living Well. No matter whether it’s for mother’s day or some other special occasion, you will love this book and I highly recommend it—even though I’m not a mother nor a daughter. Each double-page spread contains a couple of inspirational sentences with a beautiful photo. A brief inspirational thought and a relevant quotation and a verse or two from the Bible.

Here’s an example with photo of a woman holding a partially filled glass of water. “If I could describe you in one word, I’d say you’re optimistic. You always look on the bright side of things and choose to let go of the negative. I wish I could be more like you in that way. Your glass is never half empty; it’s half full, and you look around to find someone to share it with. Things haven’t always gone right in your life, but you chose to remain hopeful that tomorrow is a new and better day. People are drawn to you because you don’t let anything get you down. I didn’t always know that hope is a choice. I thought either you had it or you didn’t Now I see that you chose to let hope be the anchor of your soul.”

OK, that was a random page example from this well-crafted book. It’s a perfect gift for any time—and especially on Mother’s Day.