Foundation Stone Mothers

Happy Mother's Day to all our beautifully seasoned mothers, those polished gems with decades of wisdom and experience.

Those precious mamas who laid strong foundations in our homes, and our lives.

Those mothers remind me of how Revelation chapter 21 describes the New Jerusalem and its foundations. Verses 19-20 describe twelve precious stones inset in the foundation’s walls.
Stones like sapphire, emerald, ruby, topaz, and turquoise.

In the same way that those stones beautified the city’s foundations, our mothers beautified our lives by laying “foundation stones” for us.

Foundation stones of love, wisdom, perseverance, patience, courage, fortitude, steadfastness, compassion, diligence, self-sacrifice.

Ladies, your generation did it all without the help of modern technology. You had wringer washing machines and outdoor clotheslines.

No microwaves. No cell phones to call for take-out. No dishwashers . . . unless you counted your children.

You sacrificed your time, energy, and resources to instill values and principles into your children. You worked diligently to make a home, doing the best you could with the knowledge and resources available to you.

My mother, Barbra Sousa, exemplifies some of the best characteristics of the mothers of this generation.

When I was a child in the 1970’s, a horrific stomach flu epidemic swept through our South Omaha community. My three toddler brothers and I all fell ill. Our home looked like triage center. 

Mom went from child to child, emptying buckets, changing soiled sheets, wiping our faces with cold washcloths. After days of this endless cycle, Mom fell ill herself. Dad was the sole breadwinner at the time, and because the flu was so pervasive, Mom was on her own. 

Horribly ill, she crawled from bed to bed to care for us. She’d stop to vomit, then crawl to the next child to tend to our needs. 

Mom used every foundation stone in her arsenal.
She gave her all to do the best she could for her children.

And ladies, so did you.

So a massive, “thank you” to my mom, and to all of you wisdom-filled, polished gem mothers who laid a strong foundation for us to build upon. 

"When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness....

Her children stand and bless her.
Proverbs 31: 26-28