Every Mother’s Day, I think about the things my “mothers” taught me. Wilma Ivene McIntire Spaulding reminded me regularly to wash my hands before I ate and, while I was at it, to wash anything else that needed it. She also taught me to “Mind your own business, and let your younger brother mind his own business.” My stepmother, Marie Early Spaulding, taught me to iron shirts and to stay open to give and receive love. My spiritual mother, my aunt Esther Spaulding Marquart, taught me to love God and listen to Jesus. My academic mother, Gertrude Little, taught me to love teaching as a part of pastoral life. Another academic mother, Marie Strong, taught me to take Jesus’ teachings seriously and to live them out in daily life. My mother-in-law, Gertie Andrew Miller, taught me the strength of the gentle touch in relationships and the importance of acceptance for children and adults alike. Sue, the mother of my children, taught how to be more gracious and polite with real sincerity. Esther Boyer Kirkpatrick taught me that you could simply talk to Jesus as a friend in prayer without any exalted or flowery language.
Some of these women were literally mothers and some were not, but they all had mothering roles in my life. Who were the mothers in your life and what did they teach you?