by Donna Maria

They make us smile. They make us cry. They annoy us to no end. They cause us to well up with appreciation. And then, we become one.

Mother.

What a wellspring of emotion the word inspires. For me, becoming a mother has altered my perception of the world forever. While we all impact society, as a parent, that impact is multiplied by however many children you have, and then multiplied again when you become a grandparent.

I call my mother every day, and we talk about Every Thing and No Thing. Business. Kids. Husbands. Household chores. The price of gas. The weather. Politics. American Idol. My mother gives me perspective and I try to absorb and put into practice the wisdom she shares with me every day. I am quieted by her soothing spirit. Nothing throws my mother off her center.

My mother is me and I am my mother, yet I am my own woman. A beautiful paradox indeed.

This month, take Just A Moment to:

1. Thank God for your mother, wherever she is.

2. Ask someone who knows or knew your mother what you could do this month that would most honor her, and then do it.

3. My husband's mother has been deceased for over 20 years. She used to plant dogwood trees in the back yard of his childhood home. Today, a dogwood stands in the back yard of our family home in memory of Joyce Boswell Johnson.

This month, plant a tree for your mother and nurture it for the rest of your life.