Note: this week in honor of Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating the many different women in our lives who have left a legacy. We’re calling them our “many mothers,” and thanking them for their love. Read more about #ManyMothers, and how you can thank your many moms, here.
I still remember vividly waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of my mother crying.
I found her kneeling next to her bed. When she saw me, she immediately moved into action. Grabbing me close, she looked me in the eye and told me I was going to have to be brave.
Daddy was in an airplane crash.
The rest of the memories from that night are a whirlwind. I was loaded into the car with my sister and a smattering of belongings and dropped off at my dad’s cousin’s home. We didn’t know when my parents were coming back.
My mom ended up spending months sitting in a hospital taking care of my dad. This meant that for the first time in my life, I needed “additional” mothers to help take care of me.
3 Moms To The Rescue
My first additional mom was my dad’s cousin. Up until my dad’s accident I had never even been left with a babysitter before, much less lived in a home that wasn’t mine. She took care of my physical needs and made sure I knew I was safe.
Her daughter was my second mom, though she was only a handful of years older than me. This young girl helped me get up, get dressed, and rode with me to school every day.
My third mom was a neighbor. I remember walking through the door after school and this woman would put me on her lap, wrap me in a homemade blanket, and rock me while I cried. Then I would sit at her table and eat Kraft macaroni and cheese.
Other Moms Filled In The Gap
Looking back now I see how each of these ladies filled a gap of mothering during a time I needed extra love. They didn’t replace my mom, or make her less needed, wanted, or loved. Instead, they entered my life for a specific season and God used them to shape me into who I am still becoming today. Each had compassion and showed it differently.
One helped me know I was taken care of.
Another helped me know how to be brave.
And a third just held me.
Many Other Moms
Looking back over my life there have been a lot of women like this. Some have been older and wiser and came into my life for the sole purpose of helping me know an important life lesson. Some taught me different lessons about what it means to grow into a woman of God. Some showed me nuggets of who I want to be. All of them I loved. All of them I’m thankful for.
I have not seen the three women who were with me during the aftermath of my dad’s crash for over thirty years. But I hope that in some small way this helps me say thank you to them for being a mom when I needed them.
Thanks, Leneita
Tell us some stories of the multiple moms in your own life. In addition to your mom, who in your life has:
Nurtured You: Have there been women who have come alongside you to intentionally show you care and encouragement, and helped you grow into a better person?
Taken Care of You: What women in your life have given you some extra care?
Taught You A Life Lesson: Who has helped you during a specific season to learn an important life lesson through their words or actions?
Source: My Life Tree
