I thought about what I wanted my first official blog to be and decided I needed to start at the beginning.
Considering this Sunday is Mother's Day, I thought I would start with the reason I am the person I am today - my Mom.
In our lives, there is that person who cares for us, loves us and gives us the tools and courage to navigate this journey of life. My Mom has been that person for me. She taught my sister and I that we had the ability to be and do whatever our talents and gifts would allow us to do.
We grew up in a small southern Louisiana town called Buras. Buras truly was one of those places where "everybody knows your name" and your business. My Mom had grown up there too - along with over 100 years of our family heritage being a part of that community. There is something to be said about growing up in a small town where the smell of water, fresh air, and a work hard ethic are a part of your everyday experience.
For the first 18 years of my life, I probably did not appreciate what growing up in a small town would mean to me later in life. My sister and I played outside, spent time with our grandparents, went on our Dad's shrimp boat for days, went to church, and spent most of our days with our family. We did not have cell phones, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, DVR, computers, iPads, etc. Technology consisted of phone plugged into the wall of our home and a TV - that's it. Sometimes I wish life was that simple today.
Throughout the years, I have had amazing experiences but my life took me away from my family. In 2005, my parents, my sister and her three children move to the town next to where I have been living since 1991 - they live in Ponchatoula and I live in Hammond - about 8 miles apart. I would never have realized what a gift that would become. I see them on a regular basis, I participate in their lives and they in mine, and I value the time we share.
One of the most challenging but special gifts I have been given is to watch my Mom take care of my Dad. My Dad, like more than 5 Million others (www.alz.org) has Alzheimer's Disease. My parents have been married for 49 years and yes, this is truly a testament to "in sickness and in health, till death do us part." My Mom is so brave. She has taken the love that she and my Dad have shared all these years and had to use as a foundation for her strength to live and work with him on a daily basis. She never knows what the days or nights will hold, and he often drives her crazy. One minute he acts like a little boy and other times he is angry because he knows he is sick and can't drive and do the things that he has always done. No matter what, my Mom cares for him.
In this world, we often want the next best thing. My parents, especially my Mom, have taught me especially in my adult life that the next best thing is the oldest thing in the world - LOVE! Love is what we are all looking for in this life and I want to thank my Mom for showing all of me love.
So this weekend, as we remember our moms, whether they gave birth to you and/or whether they raised you, please give that person a hug, say "I love you" and tell them thank you. Thank you Mom for being the best Mom I could have ever asked for.
Peace and Love,
Both camps offer the opportunity for children to meet God through others and what a better way to spend the Summer! I saw campers, counselors and staff who provided a safe and loving environment for kids. If you have children, please make certain they are given the opportunity to share a camp experience with other children. It will make such such a difference in their lives.
