We all have or have had them, and almost everyone has a mom they would call their own. We may have come by them differently. Some of our Mothers may be original, or we found them through adoption, and some may be borrowed or shared, but I hope you know the love of a Mom.
My Mom is a woman of strength, honesty, humor, and generosity. She is always in the process of knowing herself more fully. Her story began in a family of 12 children in the Netherlands. At age 10 they immigrated to New Jersey. She lived so much by 10 years old. So much of who she is today was birthed from the early stories and we are shaped by her life. She has nurtured so many people. We are so grateful she is ours and nurtures us! There is a song by Wes King I used many years ago for her Christmas gift. The lyrics continue to fit her today! (See the video below)
I am grateful to share alot of life with my Mom. She lives fully each day and acknowledges how she misses the presence of my Dad in her life. She gives her all to her children, grandchildren and their worlds and her great grand children. And she acknowledges as she is now in her 80’s, her energy wanes more quickly than it used to. She works part time, participates at the gym, is active at Church and enjoys visiting with her friends, attending book clubs and engaging her neighbors.
Happy Mother’s Day Mom….I am grateful for you every day! I love you!
Today was a favorite day for some of our cottage ownership team members. I am not a huge water person, but for those who love to ski, tube, and kneeboard, today’s events indicate we are one step closer to summer joy!
how dedicated our dock team is to getting the dock in so water sports can begin ASAP. While some were doing dock work, we cheered on Johanna at a tennis match.
I am so grateful to be a part of my village. In 48 hours, we did gardening, weed pulling, and boat cleaning, shared a good Mother’s Day meal, cheered on Johanna in tennis, and got the dock in the water! No matter the weather or the task, we have learned to work together and get the job done.
My niece is playing first singles tomorrow morning in a tennis tournament. She has worked hard for many months and earned herself a spot on the varsity team as a freshman. She has demonstrated the importance of hard work, commitment, believing in yourself, and giving it your all!
an alternate tomorrow, as the #1 singles cannot be present. Johanna is excited to give it her best shot, and we will be there to cheer her on. We won’t miss it!
One of my very satisfying and delightful jobs was Adoption Social Work. I loved the intensive home studies meetings with the parents! Such good conversations unfolded as we discussed opening their hearts to bring in a child from another culture and embracing them as their own! I
also prepared the families for the day they got the call that they had been matched. Then, there was often a significant wait for travel, and eventually, it was GOTCHA DAY! Frequently, this whole process takes from 1 to 3 years!
About 18 years ago, Cathy initiated adoption from China as a single parent. She brought home Caili Mae 17 years ago today. I have watched them go from being total strangers bound by Cathy’s commitment to take Caili in and love her forever to creating a life full of adventure and joy.
In 17 years, a mother and daughter have come to know and love one another with a strong bond of love, laughter, honesty, friendship, faith, and prayer.
GOTCHA DAY. Adoption is not a one-and-done thing. It has themes and stories. Curiosity about one’s adoption story, birth country, birth mom, or family are all ways to invite tender conversation. Remember, these stories are Holy Ground, so move with kindness and grace!
While I have been on vacation, I have been listening for laughter. It is fun to have an ear out to catch someone’s giggle. I have also had times when someone’s laughter was so full-bellied that it caused me to turn my head! It doesn’t matter if I am straining my ear to hear or turning my head because the joyous laughter piques my curiosity. Laughter often provokes joy!
I have been working hard to prepare to be a delegate in our denominational Synod. At this time, representatives come together to discuss the church’s crucial conversations. Not every conversation requires a decision, but many do.
Today, we went to Brookgreen Gardens. Our ticket lasts seven days, which is wonderful as we could not take it all in on the first day. This afternoon, we visited the Sculpture Garden and were drawn into the children’s sculpture garden. Cathy and I commented on how inviting it was and how some sculptures drew you in and caused you to stop and wonder. or provoked joy.
everything is smaller instead of large and sometimes larger than life? Are the sitting areas cozier and inviting conversation instead of straight benches? Or maybe it is how the descriptions of the sculptures are a bit more interesting and use fewer words, such as Happiness or The Turtle Train, getting nowhere quickly.
clear and expressive. There was no long written explanation of why or how it happened. I could see kids wonder and talk about the idea of standing tall.
maybe even make a practice of this: listen, observe, and engage the children around you. Learn from what they are saying and how they are playing, and listen to their words and nonverbal messages. Observe their compassion and 
what is important to them. Perhaps we need to all spend more time learning from the young ones among us!
