She's A Grand One!

When I was a kid, we were fortunate - oh so fortunate - to live next door to my Gram. She lived across the field from us. My sis and I were always over there. It was not unlike us to run across the field several times a day to borrow a tomato or egg, check out what she was having for dinner or just read the paper, shoot the breeze and visit. (Whatever Gram was having for dinner always seemed better than what we were having!) Over the years she gave us art lessons, serenaded us with her attempts at playing the piano and organ (!) and kept us laughing with her crazy schemes. Chores were a hassle at home but cleaning Gram's house was our pleasure (go figure!)

For these and other reasons, we used to tell our mom she was our "mother" but Gram was our "grand" mother. Of course, most kids everywhere do the same. Grandmas tell you stories while moms tell you to clean your room. Grandmas give you homemade bread with butter and jelly, or fudgsicles before you've had your dinner. Moms give you dinner and make you eat it all, whether you like it or not. Grandmas delight in everything you do; moms - well, they're the mom. They discipline you. Make sure you get to bed on time. Make sure your clothes match. Ensure you get your homework done.

Grandmas are quite grand and ours was a treasure. But after all these years, I've come to realize my mom was quite grand herself. I'm sure I didn't appreciate it then, because she was just doing her job most of the time. But while she was making sure our clothes matched, our manners appropriate and our homework complete, she also made sure we made plenty of memories along the way. The summer before my sophomore year, she had something special planned almost every week, and at the end of that summer, she presented us with a photo album so we'd be able to remember all the fun things we did. She worked for many years at a Christian school so my sister and I could attend there. When I was in college 400 miles from home, many were the times she'd surprise me by visiting for the weekend and taking me and all my roommates out for dinner, or fly me home for a weekend.

Now that I'm older of course, I realize she didn't always have it easy. She stood her ground many times when it meant she wouldn't be popular. Years before my dad came to know Christ, she was committed to raising my sister and I to know and walk with the Lord. Okay, so she did have a strange way of waking us up. She'd come in our rooms, flip on the light and quote a verse from Proverbs about not being lazy! But I'm sure that was only because she'd been up long before, spending time in her Bible and on her knees in prayer - and she longed for us to start our day the same way.

So this is for you, Mom! Happy Mother's Day! Having grandchildren doesn't make you grand - you were that all along! Thanks for just doing your job . . . your girls are rising up and calling you blessed (make that "grand") today!