Mothers

There are certain people that cross your path in life, who leave a lasting impression that cannot be forgotten. Many times they're people you may know temporarily but couldn't possibly ever forget.
Other times these people aren't just people that cross your path, but they're people who have spent their lives coaching you forward, spurning you on, and dreaming big dreams for you. There just isn't anything like having someone in your life who really believes in you and believes big things can come from you. It really does change you. Where you might lack in believing in yourself, they fill the gap. They build you up, protect you, and point a finger in the right direction when you get to wandering off into the weeds, instead of sticking to the smooth trail. Trust me, I've needed someone to point for me so many times.
I cannot express how blessed I have been to have three women like this who have impacted my life so greatly. It really has changed who I am.
My mom, Melissa, is one of the most beautiful women on the face of the planet. Inside and out.

We talk daily. She is one of the best listeners, ever. She understands me like no one else. She gets my jokes, and I get hers. She supports me unconditionally. I mean that. If there's a cause I'm passionate about, she's soon on board. If there's a goal I want to achieve, she believes in me and pushes me forward. When I suddenly changed my life goal from pursuing an opera career (which lots of money had been invested in) and knew that I was called to be a stay at home mom, my mom didn't bat an eye. Sure, she still listens to The Marriage of Figaro on occasion and reminisces about my role as Marcelena. And sure she still scrolls through the photos from Suor Angelica and Madame Butterfly. But it's not because she doesn't know I'm right where I'm supposed to be.

She has watched me change over the years. My dreams and goals are constantly evolving. She doesn't think I'm nuts for believing God knows just how big a family should be, and the fact that she might be a grandmother many times over. She doesn't think I'm crazy for choosing a slightly different direction than the directions that are common in parenting and in life. She understands. She cheers me on. When adoption became the clear path we knew the Lord was leading us to, she supported us whole heartedly.
My mom is also a very social, funny woman. I love it when my mom gets so cracked up laughing that she can't breathe. It's beauty at its finest.
I really don't know what I'd do without my mama. She has undoubtedly taught me to dream big. She is a tender and nurturing woman, who has always responded to my hurts, and the hurts of others with compassion.
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When I was about five years old, another amazing woman stepped into my life.

My parents had been divorced, and things had been rough for a year or so. God has a beautiful way, though, of making beauty from ashes and hard times into times of abundance. He brought a woman into my Dad's life who accepted and loved my brother and I, freely. Leslie and my dad were married when I was five or six. My brother and I spent every other weekend with them and then six weeks in the summer time. Leslie was always up for an adventure. She did cartwheels with me, stood on her head, taught me to crackle my bubble gum, and took me riding in her Volkswagen Rabbit. She pretended to be a mermaid with me in the swimming pool and made up spectacular bedtime stories. She let me play in her makeup. She talked me out of joining the circus in second grade, which she assured me would undoubtedly be a very lonely life for a seven year old like me with so much family at home. I've always been so grateful for that intervention, because no doubt, Barnum and Bailey would have kidnapped me, had they witnessed my mad cart wheel skills and my ability to touch my nose with my tongue.

I have always felt so loved and accepted by my step mother Leslie. She has challenged me in my walk with the Lord and prayed me through some rough patches. When we needed someone to travel to Peru to help us out with the kids, she was thrilled to be a part.

It was an amazing experience to have her there with us, and one I'll never forget.
I'm so grateful that God placed her in my life.
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Another incredible woman stepped into my life when I married my husband Danny. Danny's mom, Betty.

Since Danny and I married we have lived next door to Danny's parents. Mrs. Betty has been such a strength and help to me from the beginning. In early marriage, Mrs. Betty taught me a lot about cooking and sewing. She pretty much taught me to sew. I had created some unsightly, hand stitched rainbow and lace skirts that I unashamedly wore to high school. But the problem was, they ripped when I bent over. Okay, so truth be told, sewing hadn't been my strong point. Mrs. Betty coached me patiently for hours and days as we made purses, clothing, and eventually, every baby carrier known to man. When I find a new complicated baby carrier pattern online, I can bring her the pattern and she leads me through it patiently. Some of my best hours have been spent discussing the things of the Lord over humming sewing machines at the Reed house.

I have learned so much about Jesus, and so much about love, from Mrs. Betty. She is a true servant, constantly pouring herself out for others. If she sees a need, she jumps up and takes up the slack. If she thinks something will cheer somebody up, or bring some cheer to a person's home, she doesn't ask questions. She gets to work.
Mrs. Betty is one of the most talented women I have ever seen. She can transform anything, and I mean anything. She covers furniture, redecorates a space like no other, is an excellent cook, and is an amazing teacher of God's Word.
I have always felt loved and accepted as a daughter by Mrs. Betty. Anytime I might feel lonely or in need of some words of wisdom, I can always walk next door and know there is someone amazing waiting there who is sure to put my focus in the right direction.
When Mrs Betty knew the Lord had called us to adoption, she got busy helping us raise the money. She helped and planned five garage sales and an art sale, in which she painted sixty something paintings completely on her own.
I have so much yet to learn from my mother in law. She has been such a help and guide to me in my life as a wife and a mother. I am so grateful that I have her in my life.
It's true. These are some of the best women to walk the face of the earth, in my personal opinion. Happy Mother's Day to three women who have forever changed who I am.
I love you so much!