"Happy Mother's Day!" by Sue Winters

I hope all the moms out there are enjoying a great day! As I reflect on what makes
“Mother’s Day” special, I immediately think of my children and grandchildren. I’m sure, just as I do, you also enjoy spending time with your children, showering them with hugs and kisses, praising them, sharing projects together, and even exchanging gifts.
With any of these love languages, we show how much we care for each other.

One of my favorite “mom” gifts to share is the gift of music. Both of my children are now grown and are out on their own. When they were younger, they were involved in school musical productions, flute, percussion, guitar, and piano lessons and recitals, various festivals and competitions. Music was a big part of their lives. As a mom, I felt so proud to be part of their accomplishments. I was one of those moms who had butterflies on the inside but was beaming on the outside! No one could bring more joy to me than my children when it came to musical activities.

As the years have passed, I am now blessed with grandchildren and love to see them involved in music as well as many other activities. Kindermusik is a must for me, and my grandsons, to my knowledge, really enjoy it. In our weekly classes, parents and grandparents are encouraged to participate with the children to some degree – more involvement with the younger ages and less as they get older. We are always involved in some way whether it be active participation with them or just sitting back to observe. I have to chuckle every time I see the children looking at their partners to make sure they are paying attention to them. My grandson Noah is always making sure I’m watching!

As a result of this time together, my grandsons really enjoy the music and love to share it with everyone. I caught Noah (my oldest grandson) teaching his younger brother the other day how to join him in an ensemble. He was telling him to play the bell for the segment “hear the bell a ringin” in the train song. Now never mind that Noah’s brother Otto is only 10 months old! Structure does not matter at this age but it does matter
how much enjoyment they have in the learning process!

How can something like this not bring joy to a mother or grandmother’s heart? This joy is genuine and will last far beyond any material gifts. I know you all cherish
similar things about each of your children. I know you all have a story or a blog that you could write. I hope you have a chance to reflect on that today as you celebrate this special day to honor mothers.