Geschenke-Mitbringsel | Tipps & Inspirationen
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10, and as I’ve reflected on the women who shaped my life, I’ve realized something important:
“Motherhood is not an experiment—it is a calling.”
A mother helps shape the heart, character, and spiritual direction of her children. Long before teachers, employers, or culture influence a child, a mother is there nurturing, correcting, protecting, and loving.
For many of us, some of our strongest memories are tied to the women who stood beside us in our hardest and happiest moments.
This Mother’s Day, I want to share memories of three special women who deeply influenced my life: my mother, my grandmother, and my lovely wife, Helen.
Memories of My Mom, Marie
Photo by Robert Barone
When I was in the third grade, we lived just outside of Houston. I remember playing with neighborhood kids, learning to ride a bicycle, and the excitement of family outings.
Sometimes Dad would take us into town near suppertime and buy hot tamales from a roadside vendor. Six tamales for a dollar. He could feed all six of us for only a couple of bucks. Times were hard, but somehow Mom always made life feel full.
One day, Dad took us to Galveston Bay for a picnic. Near where we parked stood an old wooden pier. Dad warned us to be careful around it because it looked unsafe.
Of course, I ignored him.
I stepped onto a rotten board and plunged straight through into the water below. Dad jumped in and dragged me out, furious over my carelessness. But Mom immediately wrapped me in her arms, dried me off, and held me while I cried.
That was my mother.
“A mother’s arms often become the safest place a frightened child will ever know.”
Another memory still stands vivid in my mind.
Mom once took us blackberry picking near a small airport runway. Wild blackberries grew thick and heavy there. She handed each of us a basket and said, “Fill these before we leave here.”
She warned us, “Stay away from the electric fence on the airport property.”
AI-created image
We all worked hard, trying to please Mom. My older brother Herman ventured close to the fence and filled his basket. My younger brother Don followed him, but no one noticed—not even Herman.
Seeing a thick cluster of berries on the other side, Don stepped into a puddle of water and reached for the wire.
He couldn’t let go.
Herman grabbed him and got shocked too. He managed to pull away, but Don was still stuck fast, shaking against the current.
Mom reacted instantly.
“Herman, give me your shirt!”
As quick as greased lightning, Herman shed his shirt.
She wrapped the shirt around Don and yanked him free from the wire. His hand was burned badly, and he was terrified. Mom carried him back to the car while comforting him the whole way.
A mother’s love moves fast when her children are in danger.
I struggled badly in school when I was young. Today, I probably would have been placed in special education classes because reading was difficult for me.
But Mom refused to give up on me.
She taught me to visualize stories as I read. She patiently helped me sound out words until reading slowly began making sense.
That simple act changed my life.
“Sometimes the greatest teachers never stand in a classroom—they stand in a kitchen beside their children.”
Research continues to show how important a mother’s involvement is in a child’s early learning and emotional development. https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/5-ways-faith-lasts-into-adulthood https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/5-ways-faith-lasts-into-adulthood
Before I was old enough to start school, we moved to Whitesboro, Texas. Our small white frame house, built sometime in the forties, had a large picture window in the front room. I often sat there watching people pass by, cars moving up and down the street, and birds fluttering through the neighborhood trees.
One afternoon, I was sitting at that window when a paperboy riding his bicycle down the middle of the street hit a chuckhole. He flew over the handlebars and broke his neck. The accident killed him.
I didn’t fully understand what had happened, but I knew it was terrible. Police cars and an ambulance rushed to the scene almost immediately.
I started crying and kept asking, “Will the boy be okay?”
Mom never answered the question directly. Instead, she pulled me into her arms and said, “The medical people are taking care of him.”
Then she held me until I calmed down.
“Sometimes a mother cannot shield her child from tragedy, but she can help carry the weight of it.”
Years later, I realized something important:
Mothers cannot always explain pain away, but they can help carry us through it.
We later moved to Canton, Oklahoma, where Dad loved taking us fishing.
Mom packed a picnic meal for the family and spread it out on a checkered tablecloth while we fished. Dad gave me a cane pole, tied a hook and a weight on it with a bobber. He showed me how to cast it, then he placed a worm on the hook.
Possible pic of Canton Tornado Aftermath,
One stormy night in that town, a violent tornado tore through the area. Windows shattered. The wind sounded like a freight train roaring past our apartment.
The next morning, the destruction was unbelievable.
Mom simply prayed:
“Thank You, Lord, for protecting us. We could have been killed.”
Her faith stayed steady even when life felt dangerous.
“Children often learn faith first by watching how their mother responds to fear.”
I also loved helping Mom cook.Dad once mocked me for being in the kitchen.
Mom gave Dad a look that said, “You better back off before I hit you with this skillet.” To this day, I still remember that moment.
Mothers often protect their children in ways the world never sees.
One of my favorite memories happened at bedtime.
All four of us boys slept in the same room. At night, Mom would come in carrying children’s storybooks. She read to us until we drifted asleep.
Then she would read from the Bible and teach us about Jesus.
Looking back now, I understand something I didn’t fully grasp then: those bedtime stories, Bible readings, and prayers were shaping our hearts far more than we realized. Mom wasn’t just helping us fall asleep—she was planting seeds of faith.
Scripture reminds us:
“Train up a child in the way he should go…” — Proverbs 22:6
You can read more about the importance of spiritual influence in the home here: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/pass-on-your-faith-to-the-next-generation/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/5-ways-faith-lasts-into-adulthood
When money became tight during my teenage years, Mom somehow still found ways to feed the family.
I remember her gathering soup bones and wild greens to make supper. She could stretch almost nothing into enough food for everyone.
That’s my mom.
Strong.
Faithful.
Resourceful.
Loving.
Grandma Bailey
Some of my fondest childhood memories came from visiting Grandma and Grandpa Bailey.
Their small rustic home felt warm and alive. Grandpa built it himself. Grandma cooked on a large wood-burning stove, and family meals became gatherings full of laughter, stories, and togetherness.
Grandma taught me how to gather eggs and care for chickens. I hauled firewood and carried water from the well. At the time, they seemed like chores.
Now they feel like treasures.
“Some of the richest childhood memories are built in simple places with faithful people.”
Those visits taught me something modern life often forgets:
Strong families are built around shared time, shared work, and shared love.
My Lovely Wife, Helen
Helen
I saved the best for last.
My lovely wife, Helen, worked as a nurse while I pastored churches through the years. Many times, she carried the heavier financial burden for our family without complaint.
She often worked night shifts so she could still be present for our children during the day.
That kind of sacrifice takes strength. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/what-is-serve-and-return/
When our daughter Ellen was born, Helen went through an extremely difficult pre-labor experience after reacting badly to pain medication.
I was terrified.
Helen clung to me like a child while the nurses tried to help calm her.
When Ellen finally arrived—tiny and premature—I felt overwhelming pride and responsibility as a husband and father.
I proudly announced:
“I’ll get up during the night so you can sleep.”
That noble declaration lasted exactly one night.
Helen handled motherhood with patience and grace. She read to our children. Rocked them. Taught them. Comforted them, and loved them.
And somehow she still made time for me too.
When our son David was born, I decided our family needed to learn camping. So naturally, I bought a huge tent and took everyone camping in the rain.
All weekend long.
With a newborn baby. Helen never complained.
She cared for the baby, entertained Ellen, and made the best of it.
Looking back now, I realize how much mothers quietly endure for their families.
“Behind many strong families stands a tired mother who kept loving anyway.”
Researchers continue to emphasize how deeply nurturing relationships shape a child’s emotional and spiritual stability.
The Bible repeatedly honors the influence of godly women in the home and family. One powerful example is found in Timothy’s upbringing through his mother and grandmother:
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
A Final Thought for Mother’s Day
I know I’ve shared a lot of stories, but perhaps that’s fitting for Mother’s Day. Mothers deserve to be remembered. They deserve to be remembered for their grand achievements, and their everyday sacrifices most take for granted.
The meals.
The prayers.
The hugs.
The sleepless nights.
The patience.
The quiet faithfulness.
If your mother is still living, cherish her. Call her. Visit her. Thank her. And husbands—honor the mother of your children. Treat her like the treasure she is.
Because women like these help shape the future, one child at a time.
“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”
There is more truth in that old saying than many people realize. Mothers shape hearts long before the world ever touches them.
Stay Connected
Thank you for taking time to read these memories with me this Mother’s Day season.
As I grow older, I find myself appreciating more deeply the people God used to shape my life. Many of those people were faithful women who loved, sacrificed, prayed, and endured quietly behind the scenes.
Perhaps this week would be a good time to reflect on the mothers, grandmothers, wives, or spiritual mothers who influenced your own life. Tell them what they meant to you while you still can.
“The influence of a godly mother can echo through generations.”
If this article encouraged you, feel free to share it with someone who may need the reminder.
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