Dear Mother,

I write this on behalf of those children who can't. Proverbs 31:28 says that "her children rise up and call her blessed," and hopefully one day your children will do that. But today, they are concerned only with middle of the night feedings, exhibiting their will against yours, deciding they do not like peanut butter after all, crying when you are out of chocolate milk, tracking mud across the floor, ruining the yard by riding their bikes through it, refusing to get the idea of telling you when they "gotta go," spilling juice, taking five-minute naps, putting finger prints on the coffee table (assuming a coffee table isn't already a thing of the past), biting their siblings, screaming over a stolen toy...and I'm sure the list goes on.

Ah, but, Mama, don't think the endless line of tasks that can sometimes threaten to overwhelm are in vain. I can imagine that at times they feel meaningless, and you wonder what the use is. In the day-to-day flurry of activity it is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture.

It isn't about wiping running noses, settling arguments, changing the crib sheets for the fourth time this week, trying to get supper on the table before 9pm. Oh, no. Certainly that is all part of it, but the final goal is raising up young men and women who will carry on the goals and visions that you and your husband have. You don't just have toddlers, babies, and kids in your home. You have little men and women. It is of vital importance to keep before you the end goal you have for them. How do you want them to turn out? It does no good to just focus on today or tomorrow; you must have a goal for which you are striving. Then, when the immediate becomes overwhelming you can look ahead to the goal and remember what it is all about. I know that some days it is probably just an accomplishment to get dressed, but don't be discouraged! The future is relying on you, Mama.

Contrary to the way the world views things, the role of a mother is so fundamental to society that I can't even put the importance of it into words. If you don't raise up honorable men and virtuous women, who will? Even today there is a great dearth of good men and women. I pray that in the next generation we will see an increase.

The nation counts on you to raise up children who are worthy to carry on the tasks necessary. Without good men, who will be the CEOs? Who will put in an honest day's work and build the bridges? Who will support these men in their life tasks? Who will cook supper for them? Who will be there to do these things if mothers today fail to raise their children up to be responsible and worthy of the tasks before them? Society needs you, the next generation counts on you. You are a fundamental building block. The work you do is worth more than rubies. In the endless lists with "to do" written at the top, the three-minute showers, the lack of sleep, the messes, remember and be mindful of how important the work is that you are engaged in.

I know the world does not value you. In general, society as a whole doesn't rank motherhood very high up in the list of professions. However, I know that the Bible can't put a price on how valuable a virtuous woman is. I realize today that there are many mothers of young children, who can't express their thankfulness, because at this point they don't even realize how much they have to be thankful for. So on their behalf, I want to thank you for being committed to the tasks at hand.

No people on this earth have had a greater and more important influence in my life than my parents. For quite some time, I didn't realize what I had to be grateful for, and even now I am only somewhat aware of it. I'm sure as the years go on that I'll be more and more grateful for the parents I'm blessed with. How blessed is the child who has true parents!

Today, I wish you a very happy Mother's Day! True mothers inspire me, and they are the heroes of the nation. Keep on!  

With love,

A Thankful Daughter

  You can visit Olivia's corner of the web at www.adaughterathome.blogspot.com or email her at daughterathome@gmail.com . She'd love to hear from you!