Dear mom.

I had no intention of saying anything. But then a family friend was reading a poem that someone had written about death and life and I knew I wanted to write something, and I was going to say it.

My grandmother blamed me for her tears at my moms life celebration. Her exact words were “I was doing fine until you got up there.”  I am not the most eloquent with words, but I know that words are powerful, especially when they are spoken from the heart. So these are my words from my heart to my mom. These are the words I shared at my moms life celebration.

Mom,
You never once faltered in your faith
You never once questioned why
You till your dying day put others first
You carried me in your womb for nine months.
You got up night after night to feed me, to care for me.
You taught me what was right and wrong in life.
You listened when others hurt me with their words
You cried with me when my heart hurt
You taught me what wisdom was
You taught me what it meant to be a hard worker.
You never once laughed at all the times I changed what I wanted to be in life.
You stood behind me as my biggest supporter in all that I did.
You were there the day I gave my life to Christ.
You cheered me on through it all.
You taught me through leading by example that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. You were a giver. A lover. A servant.
You always carried a smile on your face.
And a joke in your pocket for dad.

Mom you taught me what it meant to serve.
You taught me what it meant to lay your life down for another.
You taught me what it meant to love.
You taught me to be humble, and quick to apologize.
You taught me through example.
Your example, your love for Christ woos me into the heart of God.
You taught me no matter the pain level Christ has never forsaken you
You taught me no matter how big the mountain to climb, God leads me so well
You taught me that yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death it is just that a shadow.
You taught me that Christ conquered cancer.
You taught me that love wins everytime.

Today mom you are no longer in pain, you are no longer having to climb the mountain. You are free as a bird. You get to experience Christ in all His glory. Today mom we celebrate you. For who you were to each person in this room and to all the hundreds of others you encountered in your lifetime. Today mom we celebrate that God chose to create you.
We Praise God for the full life you lived on this earth.
We love you mom and will never forget you.