A Mother's Day Love Letter

Written By: Renee Liming  |  Posted: Saturday, April 30th, 2016

                My name is Charlotte Fisher, but does it even matter? Mostly I'm just Mom or Honey, the butter lady or the driver. Sometimes I'm "Would you mind?" or "Whenever you get a minute …" I also go by "While you're up" or "Since you're going out anyway …" In Nicole Johnson's book, The Invisible Woman, she describes Charlotte's dilemma of feeling invisible.

Some days I'm only a pair of hands, nothing more.

"Can you fix this?"

"Can you tie this?"

"Can you open this?"

"Can you wash this?"

"Can you hold this?"

 She reminisces that her hands used to hold her books when she went to college and received a law degree. They once shook the hand of the president of the United States. Her hands even played a Bach cantata. Whatever they were, they are now just used for opening video games and washing underwear, making bologna sandwiches and holding a fistful of GI Joes while someone goes to the bathroom. Some days she's a clock, "What time is it?", She's the TV guide, "What comes on after this?" or a car to order, "Be there at 5:30!" Yes, she feels that some days she's been reduced to a pair of hands or a clock, and says probably a cuckoo clock at that.

I can relate to this story as I think all mothers can. This Mother's day, I challenge you to take the time to write a letter of appreciation of love to you mother.  To let her know what lessons you learned from her and how grateful you are for her hands and the way they shaped your life. 

Ann Voskamp's website at annvoskamp.com has templates that you can use to create a grateful jar, where you can write down what you are thankful for and cut the strips apart and put them in a decorated jar. Strips that your mom can pull out one at a time over the next year and read them. A grateful jar to remember God's great work in her. Examples of what I would write …

• ·0 Mom thank you so much for teaching us to give from the heart, for welcoming in the stranger, for feeding the hungry. It was you who invited the traveling nurse into your home at Christmas when they had no family nearby. It was you who taught us to help supply the food pantry shelves and help out at the homeless shelters.
• ·1 Mom thanks for keeping us involved, for enrolling us in programs to try different things, whether it be swimming lessons, gymnastics, baton, tennis, art classes, guitar, or sewing classes. We had the opportunity to try and experience different things to see what we liked and didn't like.
• ·2 Mom thanks for making our house a home that we could always come back to no matter how old we were, a home that would welcome in friends and neighbors. A home that allowed our sophomore float to be built at, hosted a prom party, served hot chocolate after a bunch of friends went cross country skiing, had co-workers over for pizza during our supper break from life guarding. You welcomed us back  home after college, and welcomed us home with our families and pets while we were building our houses.

On the abundant mama website (http://AbundantMama.com) Shawn, the blogger wrote a love letter to mothers everywhere. She reminds mothers that they are doing a great job.

"You are not told it enough, but you are loved. You are loved for how, at the end of the day, you make everything better with a single kiss and bedtime story. You are loved for your gentle touch and playful laugh even when all you feel like doing is taking a nap. You are loved for how you bring everyone together by offering a nourishing meal, a good night's rest, clothes that match, games to play, piles upon piles of books to read. You are loved for making sure everything is just the way it needs to be. Always. Day after day. Season after season. Year after year. Phase after phase. Your warmth. Your security. Your faith. Your trust. Your love. Your give everything you've got heart. Your it will be ok messages. Your 'eat your veggies' pleas. … Wear the crown of mother proudly. Let it shine upon your kind soul and light up the world as much as you light up your children. You will always be their mother."

This Mother's Day I encourage you to write your mother a letter letting her know how grateful you are for her.  I guarantee that she will appreciate it more than any $50 bouquet of flowers. Give her a gift from the heart.

Renee Liming is the owner of Lesson for Tomorrow,  which focuses on helping people write their life stories.  Email her at