Happy Birthday Nana!

Today, if I am correct, and I could be wrong, Nana is something along the lines of 39! It is amazing so many grandkids at such a young age....I kid. I would never out her real age on a blog. Seriously, though, one of the most tangible blessings in my life is watching my mom with my kids. She is amazing with Jack and Molly Ann. Truthfully, she is amazing with all kids, from newborn to teenagers. In high school, my home was always full of kiddos, and my mom would feed them, take care of them, listen to their thoughts, worries and hopes, and take them entirely seriously. She did the same for me, which, if you've ever been a teenager, is an amazingly comforting thing. Later, she adopted my friends from ACU, as well as my then boyfriend, now husband. She lavished love on all of us. Unconditionally. She still listens to me, and takes me seriously, and carries all of my burdens with her. She plays the perfect games with Jack and Molly, and her back yard is a veritable shrine to her grandkids, with a play place, a space ship, a pirate ship and a garden that everyone is free to roam in. She cannot tell me enough funny stories about Max, whom she adores! She is still welcoming and kind, and even though she would dispute this, she is a great example of what God expects in hospitality. She helps out in actually physical ways, watching my kids so I can take a break, take a class or teach a class. She is always buying things for everyone, just because she wants to show us how much she loves us. She calls Jackson my sweet boy, and tells me how special Molly Ann is. She is reassuring of my choices, even if she might have doubts. The thing that really amazes me is how she created her identity as a mom. She had no real role model to go on: her own mom gave her up when she was two, and her step mom fit the bill as a step mom straight out of Cinderella or Hansel and Gretel. She always told me the most important ingredient to be a good mom was LOVE. LOVE your kids, and everything else, all mistakes, all misunderstandings, everything else washes away in the face of that love. This is biblical: These remain, faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. I've spent many days wondering about true love, and it has only since dawned on me how God has blessed me with a great true love in my mother. She loves me completely, and my family, Mike, Molly and Jack all become wrapped up in an amazing web of love. Her love is heavenly, directly inspired by her love of God and God's love for her. Happy Birthday Nana! I love you!