Sometimes little things make the biggest difference.
One of the little things that made a big impact on me happened on Sept. 16. I don’t remember the year. I had received several “Happy Birthday” calls, but we had no party plans. When you get up there in years, birthdays don’t seem all that important. I was OK with the low-key day, but my mom wasn’t.
That evening she and my stepdad surprised me with cake, a homemade yellow cake with white powdered sugar frosting.
Over the years, my mom has made me many birthday cakes, but this one was different. I imagine, when Mom heard we weren’t having a party, or any cake, she said to herself, “Something must be done to celebrate my daughter’s birthday!” So she made me a cake.
Every time my birthday rolls around, I think of that cake. It’s been years since then, but the love behind it still lingers. I’ll always be thankful for my mom’s love for me and her concern for my happiness. Her example encourages me to do those little kindnesses that enter my mind, those spur of the moment ideas that I tend to shrug off because they seem small and insignificant.
A mother’s life is filled with a million duties and opportunities to demonstrate her love for her children. Many of them go unnoticed. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember that each one matters. It’s easy to forget that the next little thing might be that one little thing that’s remembered for many years to come.
Avonlea Krueger, author of “Happy Little Sigh,” mother of five, and encourager of moms, grandmas, and all caregivers of children, knows the ups and downs of motherhood.
“Sadly, words like drudgery and monotony are sometimes given to the role of a homemaker. Sometimes, we even feel this way ourselves. It’s true that many of a mother’s tasks involve repetition. Pairing the same socks you paired yesterday. Wiping the same counter. Sweeping the same floor. Trying to teach your children the same lesson about kindness that you’ve been working on for years. But don’t forget that most other jobs also involve repetition. What they don’t involve is caring for the things — and people — that God has given solely to you. No other corner of the world is quite like yours. This is your home. And these are your precious people. When you put your heart into blessing your family with nourishment, a comfy home, and training up your children in righteousness and love, you are also offering up a pleasing aroma and offering to the Lord. So choose to find joy in your work. In the straightening and scrubbing. In the cuddling and reading aloud. In the making things clean and adding a pretty touch”
And in the making of birthday cakes.
Avonlea reminds us: “You are God’s masterpiece, with a unique calling on your life which no one else can fill, especially when it comes to your family.”
Happy Mother’s Day to my mom and all moms. May the Lord reward your work and all your labors of love. We are so thankful for you.
- Kathy Hardee is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, dog walker, and God worshipper. She can be contacted at kathy@kathyhardee.com.