When was the last time you called your mother?
With Mother’s Day just around the corner it reminded me of the old “MOTHER” acronym, you remember the one:
“M” is for the million things she gave me,
“O” means obstacles she overcame with me,
“T” is for the tears she shed for me,
“H” is for her heart of gold;
“E” is for her everlasting spirit,
“R” is for remembers me at all times and occasions.
Put them all together, they spell
“MOTHER,”
a word that means the world to me.’
Then I began to think, as I often do, about those who serve this country and how Mother’s Day takes on a VERY special meaning for them during their deployment, as it does for the mother’s of our warriors as well. I wondered…as a Mother, how does it feel to have a son, or daughter constantly in harm’s way? What does it feel like to watch your child willingly go off to war and fight for their country? I can imagine it is equal parts Pride and Fear. At some point, as mothers, we have to loosen up our grasp on our children regardless of how much we may not want to. Although our children grow and start families of their own, we never really let them go. We may loosen the grasp, but we never truly release it. I can certainly see how supporting your child as they volunteer to go off to war can give a whole new meaning to Mother’s Day..almost redefine it. For most children, both young and old, Mother’s Day may mean little more than calling mom, or making her breakfast in bed, or simply doing something out of the norm. However, Mother’s Day for a military family can be one of the most important days of the year for both mother and child. It’s the time to say, “Thank you. Mom. Thank you for bringing me up to love my country and love my family.” For as much as fathers are looked up to, mother’s share equally in the molding of their children’s ideals, personalities and allegiances. They are as responsible for instilling love of family, God, liberty and country as much as the fathers in this Nation.
What about being a Mother IN the military? We must not forget the thousands of mothers who are on active duty right now, away from their family…away from their husbands and children. What does Mother’s Day mean to them? Imagine willingly leaving your family behind to follow a call to duty. That is something that most of us could never fathom. As a mother, I certainly can’t truly imagine what it would feel like to board a plane, knowing that there is a chance that my family may never see me again. Being away from your children for a few days can be painful enough, but for a better part of a year? That is an unbelievable sacrifice for country. Remember that this Mother’s Day there are thousands of mothers in the services who are eagerly waiting to hear from their family and are counting the days until the get to hold their children again.
So, for the thousands, upon thousands of Mothers either in service, have a child in service, PPL Motorhomes thanks you. I thank you. We should all thank you for showing the true strength of mothers here in the United States of America. We will never forget, or understate your sacrifice and wish all of you a truly Happy Mother’s Day!