“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6
My mother is the most courageous person I know. As a young girl, my parents divorced, and my mother then became a single mother to three children. She worked long hours running a child care center, then came home to cook dinner, clean the house, fold the laundry, and help with homework. She also decided to go back to school to earn her degree. Somehow, I never wanted or needed for anything- if I needed new basketball shoes had them, if I wanted a new book- I got it. She made sure that we had a one on one Thursday night dinner-just me and my mom with Chinese food and TV in the living room. My mom never missed a sporting event or a teacher meeting. She was wonder woman!
As hard as she worked, she never complained, it paid off. She soon had her associates, bachelor’s degrees, and then her Master’s degree. Mom went from running one center to two, then three, and now four centers. Don’t forget she was raising three girls as well! I can’t imagine all the strength it took her to do all those things at once, with little to no help. I now know what courage and perseverance are by the example my mom set for me.
This year at St. Luke’s is the Year of Gratitude. We are intentionally sharing our gratitude by writhing a thank you letter a day. I am so grateful for my mother’s example of courage and perseverance. I am going to share these thoughts with my mother today. Who is an example of courage and perseverance for you? I want to encourage you to offer your gratitude today to that person in your life who has shown you how to live your life to the fullest.
Mandi Moon, Director St. Luke’s Children’s Center
