I've always been a little drawn to those cotton commercials that end with somebody famous singing, "The touch, the feel, the fabric of our lives." I don't really know what it is about them, but maybe I imagined singing it one day with my own story and style. I think it comes down to a legacy thing though. Each of us truly does have our own story and our own fabrics that make up our lives.
It's no surprise that words are special to me. I love them. I love to write them. I love to read them. And I love to get special notes and cards from those closest to me in my life. There is something about encouragement that adds to the value of a person. [pullquote]There is something about encouragement that adds to the value of a person.[/pullquote] For me, words inspire me to keep on loving the simple little moments that make up life.
I was humming that cotton song as I walked into my room and spotted notes I have displayed from a handful of people in my life and it hit me. The touch and the feel and the fabric of my life were right there in the words and the memories and the people that made up my life. The fabric of my life is growing up as the youth minister’s daughter, the touch of sweet southern comfort, the feel of graduating at the top of my class, my family and friends. It's the people and the places and the seasons I've experienced in life and so much more.
And I think it's only logical to point to the people that have had the most influence. Without my family, I wouldn't be half the person I am today. There is a Jessica Andrews song that says, "I'm the spitting image of my father and at the end of the day my mama's still my biggest fan." No matter what life has brought, my mom has been there on the front row. Sometimes it's through tough love. Sometimes it's through love that is undeserved, but she is always there. Always teaching me. Always pushing me to be my best. And the gift of encouragement is something that she passed down to me. She doesn't always get appreciated for it, but I noticed.
Ecclesiastes says, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to reap... a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn time and a time to dance..." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4).
And I think perhaps a time to encourage. A time to leave a legacy and a time to celebrate moms.
Thank you to the best mom I know for being there day in and day out for almost twenty-five years. I love you a million junior mints.
And thank you to all the moms that make the world a better place. Happy Mother's Day 2014!
-Only Hope
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