Celebrating the Mamas in My Life
“Her children rise and call her blessed.”
Proverbs 31:28 (NIV)
Today was Mother’s Day and three generations gathered for dinner at my daughter’s house to celebrate all of the Evans’ Moms. There were gifts, cards, hugs, and “Love you Mom” greetings exchanged, but the biggest gift there was having all of my children and grandchildren gathered together under one roof. I am so grateful to God for all of the Moms who have so shaped my life.
My Granny Muir prayed for me. As a nine-year-old little girl I remember spending a hot summer night at their farm and seeing the soft light shining under the big crack of my grandparents' bedroom door. Slipping from an old sleeper sofa in their large living room, I opened their door a bit to see both Granny and Papa praying on their knees. I heard their muffled voices as they prayed for their children and grandchildren name by name. And their voices were the last sound I heard before finally falling asleep.
I had a Granny who prayed for me. And I want to pray like my Granny,
But Granny didn’t just pray; she cooked. Her mantra was literally “if you’ll come, I’ll cook!” How in the world that woman managed to go to Sunday School and church before coming home and cooking Sunday lunch for her extended family is still a mystery to me. She had no microwave or timed bake oven, but Granny somehow made Sunday lunch happen. Her menu was always the same: Southern fried chicken; creamed corn, field peas, and sliced tomatoes from her vegetable garden; and homemade buttermilk biscuits with real apple butter. The only thing that varied was dessert. We either had Granny’s pound cake or homemade blackberry cobbler. Her pound cake was such a staple in her kitchen that my cousins and I didn’t call it “pound cake.” To us, it was Granny cake!
My Mama was a Great Depression and World War II survivor who faithfully endured my Dad’s frequent steelworkers’ layoffs. Mama was the one who made sure we were in church and Sunday School each week. She transitioned from a stay-at-home mom to school secretary when I was nine years old, but still managed to cook dinner most nights and help care for her aging mother. Mama wasn’t a strong woman, but she was a woman of strength who taught me important life lessons that included:
Work hard.
Get a good education.
Have a marketable skill; every Mama should be able to take care of her kids.
Live within your means and be content with what you have.
Be willing to draw a line in the sand and take a stand.
Learn to cook.
Prioritize church and family worship.
Read, read, read! Mama was right when she told me, "A good book can take you anywhere in the world."
Our daughter Meredith is a seasoned Mama with three beautiful daughters ages 5-12. I confess that Meredith is a much kinder, gentler Mom than I ever was. Meredith is teaching her girls to love God; create beauty; bake; serve; cultivate kindness; and be sensitive to the needs of others. Meredith truly enjoys her children and is generous in sharing many ordinary life moments through her photos and videos. She is truly a Proverbs C4 Woman who demonstrates character, competence, connection, and courage.
Mimi, Bruce’s mom, now in her mid-nineties is teaching me how to age gracefully. Widowed at age 41, Mimi never remarried, choosing instead to pour her life into raising her children ages 7-16 as a single parent. Mimi is fiercely independent, still lives alone in her own home, manages her affairs, and displays enormous gratitude and grace in this season of life.
Anne, my daughter-in-law, is joyfully celebrating her first Mother’s Day as a new Mama to Birdie James, our newest granddaughter. Anne has taught me how to patiently persevere through the suffering, grief, and sorrow of multiple miscarriages and a long adoption process. She has quickly adapted to Birdie James, motherhood, and sleepless nights! It’s been such a joy to witness her joy and gratitude as she adjusts to this new life season of parenting.
Mother’s Day wouldn’t be complete without also thanking one more Mom for her profound influence in my life. I am also grateful for Birdie James’ birth Mom. whose name I will probably never know, but whose choices have greatly impacted my family’s lives. This Mom not only chose life over an abortion; she chose to give her daughter a better life than the one she could currently provide. I pray for her daily as I pray for my own family and will always be grateful for her sacrificial gift.
Like the Psalmist I can testify, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance!” (Psalm 16:6)