Every Mother’s Calling
Every one of us has a mother. And as mothers, our role in life is to pray for our children and pour ourselves into nurturing them — not equally, but specifically. Not the same, but faithfully.
The Myth of Loving Them the Same
There is a phrase that has never quite sat right: “I love all my children the same.” The truth is, loving children the same is simply not possible — because each child is uniquely and irreplaceably different. To love them well means to love them as they actually are, not as a matched set.
A Daughter Who Needed Structure
From the moment God gifted us with our children, it was clear just how different they truly were. Our son is easygoing, laid-back, and steady. Our daughter is more complex — deeper in ways that required more of us. Because of that, the boundaries set for her were a little stricter, not out of favoritism, but out of protection. She needed that structure, and it served her well. She is the most organized person known to us — and she did not get that from her mother. Without any exaggeration, she is a beautiful example of what a nurturing mother is meant to be.
A Son Who Kept Us on Our Knees
Our son had a natural gift for finding the edge of every boundary set before him. It required constant adaptation, steady patience, and more than a little creativity. He kept the family on its knees — and that was probably exactly where God wanted us all along.
Molded by Grace
Through every bump along the way, God’s hand was at work — quietly, faithfully molding our son into the wonderful man he has become.
United, Imperfect, and Never Giving Up
Nobody Was Perfect — And That Was Okay
Neither of the children was perfect. But then again, neither were the parents. What never wavered, through every disagreement and difficult season, was the commitment to discipline. That held.
A United Front
As parents, there were fights. Disagreements. Back-and-forth conversations that seemed to go in circles. But eventually, a consensus was always found — and the most important lesson learned along the way was this: a united front is not optional. It is the foundation children need to stand on. That unity was not strategy. It was love made visible.
The Example Set Before Us
The thought of everything a mother had to carry as a single parent is humbling. She had seven children — and what she accomplished with them was nothing short of extraordinary. A father who was rarely present. In the first five years of the marriage, five children arrived — one each year.
Clotheslines and Contentment
By the time the sixth child came along, there was a three-year gap — and another three before the youngest arrived. Looking back now, it is impossible not to marvel. The meal planning alone. The mounds and mounds of laundry washed and hung — not on a dryer, but on clotheslines, because that was all there was. Her life was not easy. But the children never knew they were lacking, because she taught them to be grateful for exactly what they had.
Heroes Without Capes
The Sacrifices
An early memory stands out clearly: being taken by mother on a Greyhound bus to see a specialist in San Diego for amblyopia in the right eye. At five years old, surgery was arranged — and she stayed at the hospital the entire time. Special sunglasses were prescribed afterward, but a brother accidentally sat on them the following week. They were never replaced. The trip back to San Diego was simply too much of a hardship. That was the end of it — quietly accepted, never complained about.
What Single Mothers Carry
Every single mother deserves to be seen for what she actually carries. What our mother did — and what so many single working mothers do every day — is nothing short of heroic. They are the unsung heroes of the world.
A Decent Woman
Our mother was in her late thirties when our father checked out. She never dated — not because she had no options, but because she understood her role as an example to her children, especially her daughters. She was decent in every sense of the word, and she wanted her children to follow suit. That standard was not spoken as a rule. It was lived as a witness.
Honor Her Anyway
A Command, Not a Suggestion
The Fifth Commandment is clear: “Honor your father and your mother.” Some mothers are not easy to honor — let alone love. Yet this is the only commandment that comes with a promise. God did not attach conditions to it. He gave it as a command.
Why Honor a Flawed Mother?
Every mother is human. Some never had a good role model themselves. Some were ill-equipped to love the way a mother should. None of that changes what God requires.
It does not matter what kind of background a mother came from, or how deeply she may have caused hurt. God is not offering a suggestion. He is issuing a command — and He meant it.
What Honor Actually Means
The word honor means high respect and great esteem. At the very least, she gave life. And for that alone, gratitude is owed.
Even when the relationship is painful or strained, the call is to keep trying. Choosing to honor a mother is not just an act of obedience — it is the practice of one of the greatest values life has to offer. Because if love cannot be extended to the one who gave life, something in love itself will always remain incomplete.
Why God Made It a Commandment
There is nothing greater than a mother’s love for her child. And yet God knew parents would fall short. He knew honoring them would not always come easily. He commanded it anyway — precisely because He knew.
Even a mother who is broken, difficult, or deeply flawed still deserves to be honored. Not because she earned it. Because God said so.
The Fifth Commandment in the Bible states to “honor your father and your mother.” Some moms are not the greatest of mothers and are difficult to honor, let alone love. This is the only commandment that comes with a promise.
Mother’s Day
This Mother’s Day was truly wonderful.
Mike made the most incredible prime rib — perfectly complemented by baked potatoes and green beans. Jenny brought her famous salad, and Sonja baked the most delicious lemon cake. But the best part of all was simply having the entire family together under one roof. Nothing gladdens a mother’s heart quite like peace in the family.
And I have to say — all the help cleaning up the kitchen afterward was its own kind of gift.
Prayer
After Mass, between catnaps, prayer carried me through the entire day. There was something beautiful about lifting the whole celebration up to the Lord and trusting Him with it. We had planned to eat early since everyone had tickets to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 later that evening. The movie was surprisingly entertaining — but the best part, without question, was simply being together.
My Prayer
Dear Lord, I pray for all mothers today. Help us to follow the example of the greatest role model we have ever been given — Mother Mary. Please bless every mother, especially those who are estranged from their children. Jesus, bring unity to all hurting families. Amen.
