Wonderful Workin' Women

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
She can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faith instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness...
"Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.  
                                                        Proverbs 31:25-27,29-31  (NIV)

This is my belated Mother's Day post.  I'm not as far behind as I am sometimes...(RE:  Happy New Year's Cards in February)

Last week there was a local group sponsoring a porkburger drive-thru, which is a pretty good fundraiser in these parts.  Everyone loves a porkburger cooked by the Pork Producers.  Normally, you get them during fair time, but because of the ingenious idea of these fundraisers, we get them a little more often.  (Shoot, now my stomach is growling...)

Anyway, back to women...I drove over on my lunch hour to visit the drive-thru, parked my car and walked up to the firehouse where all the hoopla was.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day so the big doors were up and I had a clear view inside of some of the volunteers relaxing after a very busy morning.

What I saw when I looked around was a lot of wonderful workin' women.  Not only was my mother among this group, but some women that I have known all my life, some I haven't known very long and a couple I only know by name.  And as I stood there, I thought to myself, there are some amazing women right here in this room.   This bunch had just prepared and served up approximately 612 burgers/meals in just a few hours.  (I know there were some men who participated also, but this is about the girls right now.)

Most of the women were 'real' mothers, in the sense that they have children, but some were not.  Some are fortunate enough to be the aunt to nieces and nephews.  Some have step-children and grandchildren.  And some are mother to many 'children' around here.  There were a handful of ladies from my church in this group.

As I drove back to work, I reflected on the many 'mothers' I have had in my life and how important they have been.  I have grown up watching the women of my church, soaking up little lessons when I didn't even know it.  From learning how to make the best Thanksgiving dressing and 'real' hot cocoa to mashing potatoes the old-fashion way, there are very few church ladies that have come and gone that have not impacted my life in one way or another.

However, out of curiosity, I looked up what Merriam-Webster had to say about a mother...
1   :  a :  a female parent  b (1) :  a woman in authority; specifically :  the superior of a religious community of women (2) :  an old or elderly woman

2

:  source, origin <necessity is the mother of invention>

3

:  maternal tenderness or affection

I absolutely LOVE #1 & #3; there was a #4 & #5, but I didn't think they pertained here.  (#4 was not at all appropriate, and I was kind of surprised it was even in there!)

Not only have I been blessed with a hard-working, Christian mom who has been a great example, I've also been fortunate to know/have known many, many amazing women who have mothered me.  Thanks to the actual definition of the word, you don't have to have physically had children to take on the role of a mother.

And let me tell you, if you want to get something done around here, I can hook you up with a list of some wonderful workin' women.

Happy Belated Mother's Day.