Choir Notes

Thanks to Mothers

From Music and the Spoken Word

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

When children are small, they thank their mothers all day long—and not always with words. Their delighted squeals express gratitude when their mothers push them on the swings. Their eyes sparkle with appreciation when their mothers feed them. They whisper thanks as they snuggle close when their mothers read them bedtime stories. Though sometimes unspoken, their gratitude feels natural and spontaneous—almost involuntary. It is simply part of their countenance and disposition.
Mothers cherish those expressions of gratitude. They treasure the pictures they draw, the crafts they make, the notes they write, and the words they speak. They keep them close to their hearts and memorize their sentiments. Mothers love to know that they are loved and appreciated.

But sometimes things change as children grow older. Sometimes children get so busy, so preoccupied, and so stressed that they may forget to thank their mothers, who do so much for them. Some children may even come to expect the help they are given. Worse yet, they may feel entitled and stop feeling grateful.

The Lord warned against such ingratitude in the fifth of His Ten Commandments: “Honor thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12). Honoring, like gratitude, is much more than words—it’s a way of living. And when it is sincere, it shows in our every action.

Cards, flowers, and gifts on holidays are wonderful, but the best kinds of thanks are the unexpected: the heartfelt expressions of love that come for no apparent reason—the whole year long. When a grown daughter calls her mother just to talk, when a grown son stops by to bring his mother a favorite treat, when children and grandchildren make efforts to involve Grandmother in their lives—these are the expressions of thanks that bind one generation to the next. These are the days that mothers never forget; the days that help mothers know they are loved, appreciated, and remembered now and forever.