Have you updated your Facebook profile with a photo of your mom yet?
I have. Here it is:
As I remarked over there in a conversation with Betty, wasn’t she a looker?!
This photo was one of several that got sent—surreptitiously—to my father overseas. He was a young Marine fighting for our country in World War II…and my mom, an equally young (and extremely focused) student at the Minneapolis Business College, had no idea that her sister was playing matchmaker.
I am forever indebted to my Auntie Lil!
Fast-forward to the present. It is sixty-plus years later and my mom is six children richer. Add to that her twenty-two grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren…
…and you have a life that is blessed and has blessed.
May the same be said of me one day!
When I look at this photo of my mom and my daughter, I think, “I am in the middle of them.” I am the bridge between the past and future—a mom on the outside and a little girl within—who every hour must struggle to love and keep up, and who every hour prays for the hope and the focus and the grace that she needs.
The grace to be a loving wife and mother…the grace to be a gracious daughter…the grace to be a truly selfless friend. This is grace for which I pray, for you and for me and for our moms.
Happy Mother’s Day, everyone!
PS. I offered up my holy hour this morning for you—that is to say, for all you moms. (To all my male readers, you’ll get your turn on Father’s Day.) I thank God for the gift of you—for your friendship, and for your witness. Thank you!
PPS. My mother’s name is Rita; what is yours? Tell me and I will pray for her by name.
PPPS. I had the thought, about an hour after posting this, that there are many women who long to be a mother but have not, as yet, been blessed with a child. My love and prayers are with you, too, in a very special way today.
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I am named after my Mom, Joan. Happy Mother's Day to you Margaret! Enjoy the day, and hope you get a little quiet time!
Happy Mother's Day, sweetie! What a beautiful tribute to your mom. My mom's name is Margaret Mary… should be easy to remember! 🙂
Happy Mother's Day, dear friend!
PS My mother is Margaret Ann. 🙂
Rita! beautiful!! that will be our daughter's name if we are ever so blessed 🙂
happy mamas day!
and mine is "Patricia" 🙂
Thank you for all your beautiful writings. You always can put into words what I am feeling. Happy Mother's Day to you, and all the mom's reading your blog.
My mother's name is Patricia. Thanks for the prayers. I will do the same for you.
Too shy to write my own name:)
My late mother's name was Marilyn. My first child bears her name as her middle name.
Gail
This is a beautiful post! Happy Mother's Day to you and your mom. My mother's name is Mary.
Kathleen
Oh, your mother is breathtaking! Lovely post.
my mother's name is Candice. But could I ask you to pray also for my grandmother as well? Her name is Lola.
Thank you and may God bless you this mother's day and always.
my mom was Vonnie "Bea"
Happy Mother's Day, Dearest Margaret! Thank you for this most beautiful post. The photos are absolutely stunning. What a gorgeous mother you have. I trust you will have a wonderful, blessed day. (and my mother is Helen, thank you!)
Happy Mother's Day! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I missed you during Lent! 🙂 My mother's name is Bernice.
What a beautiful post, Margaret.
Happy Mother's Day to you … and to your mom, Rita.
And my mom is Madeline 😉
Thank you for the prayers.
Happy Mothers' Day to you! Your mother is lovely, and so are you. Thank-you for all your prayers. My mom's name is Marilyn. She is in poor health. Thank-you for any prayers you offer for her. Have a blessed day!
My mum's name is Marilyn. Her older half-sister, Babs, named her after Monroe. 🙂
I'm going to be off to Mass shortly . . . I credit you for the idea, but I'll offer up Mass for all the mom's in the world today.
Many blessings for a beautiful day.
Hi Margaret – Happy Mother's Day! My mom's name is Beth and I would so appreciate your prayers for her. Thank you!
Thank you so much for offering to pray for our moms. Happy Mother's Day to you Margaret. I would certainly appreciate the prayers for my mom, Debra, who is battling cancer, and my grandmother, Alvina, who is 94. Thank you so much. Hope you have a great day!
Happy Mother's Day to you too Margaret! My beautiful Mother's name is Barbara. God Bless and thanks for the prayers:)
Beautiful post, I love how you wrote about you being in the middle and how that feels.
My mom's name is Connie.
(Connie Jo of course)
God bless you, happy Mother's day to one of my faves!)
My dearly cherished mum was Rita Louise. She was the most fantastic mom! Something about those Ritas.;o)
In Christ,
Stacy (in MI)
Now I see where you and your sisters get it from.
Such a lovely post. I hope you have a wonderful day.
ps, My mother's name is Julie, but I can't fathom how you will pray for so many names! 🙂 I have sent a prayer off for you and also for the mothers-at-heart without children (what a lovely idea, thank you for inspiring me).
Well, Sarah, one way that I do it is to trace a cross over their name on my computer screen while asking God to bless them. I have also been running their names through my head randomly all day.
LOVE our moms! And I especially love reading these beautiful names and some of the special intentions.
Thank you, Margaret for your sweet post. I love it.
My beautiful Mom's name is Carla, and my beautiful step-mama is Laraine.
Although I am Mom through adoption, I still long for God to open my womb. Thank you for your prayers. Jesus is our healer.
Blessings!
Hannah
You are so sweet to pray for OUR moms 🙂 Please pray for mine, Marion.
I'm praying for you and your sweet, gorgeous mom!! Happy Mother's Day, Margaret.
My mom's name was Gloria Belle, born just a week before Christmas. She passed away on the feast of Holy Innocents 2004. Your mom's picture looks a lot like my mom's high school photo. I love those older photos. I was thinking of her today when my youngest got me a singing card. She loved noisy cards.
Your mom was/is gorgeous and you look just like her!
Happy Mother's Day to you, too. This is a lovely post. My dear mother has gone to her reward, but her name was Mary Lou.
Happy Mother's Day Margaret. My mother's name is Margaret too.
Hoping you had a wonderful day.
What a beautiful post! Your Mom is beautiful!
My Mom's name is Alexandra (my daughter is the only one of 26 grandchildren named after her). Mama went to Heaven in Aug. 2004. She is greatly missed!
Happy Mother's Day!
I want to thank you for remembering and praying for the "moms-in-waiting". While I am blessed to have three beautiful children who call me Mom, our path was not an easy one. I remember the last Mother's Day before these children came into our lives…it seemed as though everyone we knew was expecting and we had just learned that dear friends had chosen to name their newborn the same name we had hoped to use for our child someday. It was just too much at the time and I remember hurting and doubting, and trying to remember to pray. And my prayers were answered, as it was my last "childless" Mother's Day. I always enjoy reading and you are an inspiration!
Beautiful post, Margaret! My mother's name is Shirley (and her maiden name is Temple)…yes, really. 🙂
Happy Mother's Day! My mother's name is Vera. And thank you for the prayers for the 'mothers' not yet blessed. Our daughter-in-law just miscarried their first child yesterday; very sad.
Thank you Margaret. I hope you had a blessed Mother's Day.
Thank you for your prayers as well.
My mom's name is Anne Marie. Could you add prayers for her return to the Church and freedom from despair? She became burdened with the weight of what she saw as unanswered prayers and with sorrow at the pain suffered by those she loves/loved.
Thank you.
Happy Mother's Day Margaret. Beautiful post. You've a beautiful mother – inside and out. (You look so very much like her…)
My mom's name is Elaine, and thank you for your prayers.
Blessings~
Simply stunning!
Joolz
That should have read, "Thank you for the PPPS."
Not having typed the accurate number of "P"s does not, I assure you, indicate even a microgram less gratitude. 🙂
What a gorgeous photo of your mom. Happy Mother's Day always …
Testing, one two. Testing.
Yay! We can comment on Blogger blogs again.