Strength

Commercials are the best. I remember the Secret deodorant commercial that always reminded us that it’s “strong enough for a man, but ph balanced for a woman.” Women are often thought of as the weaker species, but I was surrounded by women who had strength. My grandmother was a sharecropper. My mother was one of the first black students to integrate her high school. My aunt was in the military. I have a family full of survivors. Sometimes, we have to recognize that there is strength in letting go. There is strength in walking away. There is strength in not doing. There is strength in resting in God’s grace. There is strength in weakness. This Mother’s Day celebrate the women who have taken off their cape of busyness. This Mother’s Day celebrate the women who recognize the source of their strength. This Mother’s Day celebrate all the baby weight. This Mother’s Day celebrate all the scars and all the flaws. This Mother’s Day celebrate the women who found the strength to push past their fears and insecurities. This Mother’s Day celebrate all women who have nurtured, sacrificed, stepped up, and been present in your life regardless of their title. Happy Mother’s Day!

Servant

Mother’s Day is Sunday for those of you who have lost track of time. Each day seems like the last. There is no distinction between days. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. As mothers, it’s an endless cycle of care. We care for our loved ones. We care for our home. We serve. We are servants. I’m sure we didn’t think that motherhood would translate to servanthood, and that’s not a bad thing. Christ reminds us time and time again about the importance of servanthood. In order to be first, you must be last. The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. The bible even instructs us on how to serve. We are to do everything unto the Lord. Serve with all your soul in love. Your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all that you do be done in love.

Honour

Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

I grew up listening to my mother quoting this scripture to me. I often find myself telling my own children the same thing. I realize that through my daily actions of being my mother’s caretaker that I am literally walking her words out. I am living them. I am a walking, talking, example of what this verse looks like daily. It doesn’t mean I don’’t get frustrated. It doesn’t mean I don’t have my moments. It means that I am present. I am doing the work. So, whether I am tired or not…I still have work to do. There are eyes on me. There are eyes on you, too. Do the work. Honor your loved ones. Honor your ancestors. Honor their lives and their memories.

Be Phenomenal

There are two Maya Angelou poems that stick out from my chidhood, "And Still I Rise" and "Phenomenal Woman." I know that when I read those words, I believed her. I knew the "Pulse of the Morning," and why the caged bird sings. Maya's words made me think that I could be more than my circumstances. She made me love my big lips. She made me celebrate my queendom, I had yet to discover. She taught me that I was a phenom. Sometimes, we need to be reminded that we are phenomenal. We are wives. We are mothers. We are teachers. We are friends. We are encouragers. We are nurturers. We are phenomenal women. Fix your crown, sis! Be phenomenal!

Blessed

Today is my mother's 70th birthday. Despite everything my mother has endured, she is here. Life is a gift that is meant to be celebrated daily. It's easy to get distracted by headlines and hashtags. It's easy to take life for granted. It's easy to forget the daily blessings God continues to provide.  If you woke up this morning, you're blessed. If you have clothes on your back and food to eat, you're blessed. If you have a roof over your head, you're blessed. If you have a job and money in your pocket, you're blessed. If you have a degree of health, you're blessed. Be blessed and know that today is a blessing. 

Mother!

I assure you this is not about the psychological horror film written and directed by Darren Aronofsky. I am sure some of you would describe motherhood as a psychological horror. I can admit that I have compared childbirth to scenes from the Alien franchise. I have daydreamed about my own nuclear family. However, as God would have it, I became a mother. No, I am not pregnant. I willingly chose to love, care, protect and nurture two little girls. I willingly chose to be present in their lives. Motherhood is a choice to be present even when all parties involved don't make the same choice. I am a mother. Many of you are mothers. Motherhood is defined by presence not presents. Its definition is not always nuclear. Sometimes, it's blended. Sometimes, it's mended. Sometimes, it's complicated. Regardless, it doesn't negate the fact that you are a mother.