Unsung Mothers

Snot. Dirty diapers. Boo-boos. Puppy-faces. These are familiar turfs for her. She has had a personal encounter with each, and has mastered the art of alleviating every last one. She has been the on-call doctor, the twenty four hour nurse, and Mr. Clean. She has been a disciplinarian as well as a mediator.

First steps. First words. Big hugs. Happy Dances. These too have become reoccurring milestones, and cherished memories in her life. She has been the therapist, the executive chef, and the entertainment manager. She has been a teacher as well as a confidant… and the list is endless.

She has had her favorite jeans or blouse ruined by paint, gum, or jelly stains. Date nights have been shoved in a corner to make room for nights filled with throw-up, tummy aches, and crying. Her face has been the home of embarrassing expressions after being caught off guard with awkward questions. In addition, the temper tantrums of the teenage years have left her speechless.

These women have made boundless sacrifices, and have gone to immeasurable extent for the children in their lives. Yet, they have never given birth. They haven’t experienced nine months of sharing their temple with another human. They haven’t braved the bitter-sweet hours of childbirth, neither have they endure the onerous postpartum period. Though all of this is true, these women are by no means inferior to biological mothers. They love, care, provide, and protect all in the same ways. The Bible reminds us in Proverbs 22:6 that a child’s upbringing is what takes precedence. It says: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

These unsung mothers wear titles of adoptive moms, step-moms, foster-moms, aunts, sisters, nieces, and babysitters. And all women, who although are not birth mothers, still choose to stand in the gap and be a representative of love and stability in a child’s life. You are respected. Your unselfish acts of kindness and affection is recognized and appreciated. Surely your hard work is evident in the lives of the children you come in contact with. We salute you on this very special day!