Happy Mother’s Day
Ephesians 6:2
“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise
I think the many years of coaching offensive linemen has taught me much about the job of a mother. I may be the only person on the earth that could relate the job of a mother to the job of an offensive lineman, but maybe you will understand after you read this letter. In a home with a mother and a father, the father is like the quarterback and the mother is like the offensive lineman. Dad, much like the quarterback, is known by everyone and has the glamorous job. Dads can come home from a day at work to cheers from his children at his sight, while mom is standing exhausted in the background. Dad gets to sign the autographs while mom quietly goes about her thankless job of protecting the members of her family. Fathers get to throw the ball in the yard with his son or hold a baby girl, while mom is busy making our homes comfortable and our lives possible. Dads get the credit for raising a well behaved son or confident daughter while mom, much like an offensive lineman, has quietly upheld the standards of the home and made it possible for dad to be the hero.
However, any good quarterback knows his security, health, and image are not possible without the thankless work of the offensive line. The fans would never know his name and he would not last for a single minute of the game without the offensive linemen who make it possible. I have often told offensive lineman, when teaching about protecting the quarterback, that their job is to keep the quarterback upright on his feet. As the son to a wonderful mother I know I would have never learned how to be a father myself without her. The expectations she had for me as a child and her commitment to my father held me to a high standard that prepared me for my life as a dad. The beautiful lady who is the mother to my children has certainly protected me over the years and kept me upright. Her tireless and unselfish work at my home made it possible for me to come in the door at my home to a hero’s welcome from my children.
Today is Mother’s Day and I want to make sure I express these same feelings toward my own mother and the mother of my children and now to the mother of my grandson. I hope you, whether you are blessed to see your mother on this day or only through a phone call, will let her know that her thankless work did not and does not go unnoticed. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms but especially to the three mothers in my life who have made everything I have today possible. I love you very much!
Chad
