This is the 21st of 25 special reflections based on lessons I learned from my mother. These will run from my birthday on October 27 until her birthday on November 20.

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Proverbs 17

Mom loved being a Mom. I’m convinced it’s why she didn’t pursue a career in the recording industry or on stage even though I know she would have excelled in either place. Instead, she poured most of her energy into her family, and I don’t think she ever regretted that decision.

The only thing she might have enjoyed more than being a mother was being a grandmother. By the time she passed in 2007, her five children had made her a grandmother 10 times, the last being little Issie Rose, who was born less than a year before Mom’s passing. (“Little” Issie Rose is now a teenager who is about as tall as I am.) Mom adored her grandchildren and she looked for opportunities to sow into their lives.

We were fortunate to live just down the road from my mother, and there were occasions when my wife or I knew we’d need help picking my daughter up from school. Mom was always ready to pitch in. She loved those afternoons with Lizzi, playing games and doing chores. Amazingly, the same kid who struggled to pick up her clothes in her room loved to help her grandmother clean the horses’ stalls in the barn. Now, 14 years after Mom’s passing, those afternoons are some of Lizzi’s most cherished memories.

When Mom knew the end was near, she sat down and wrote letters to each of her five children. Then she wrote one long letter to all of her grandchildren, but there was a special section at the end. For each grandchild, she wrote a customized paragraph that told each one why they were special to her. Throughout the letter, she had shared her grandmother’s wisdom, and she had encouraged them to live a life dedicated to the Lord. And at the end, she left each one with a special blessing.

Over the years, I’ve heard so many grandparents say that they think their role will be to spoil their grandchildren and send them back to their parents. Often, this is said jokingly – kind of. Grandparents too often ride into town, spend a little time and money and then ride back out of town. But Mom felt she had a more important role than that – one that would leave a lasting impression on her children’s children. She knew that God had gifted her with wisdom and insight that would find its way into the hearts of those children, and that would make a difference in their lives years later. When I get the chance to make that difference, I only hope that I’ll be able to do as well.

Reflection copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.