Mother’s Day holiday is coming up this Sunday and I’ve been thinking a lot about how I would address this day in my newsletter. Traditionally during this day we honor our mothers and mother-figures (anyone that did not give birth to us, but still treats us like one of her own children) for the love, guidance and compassion they give us, as well as for the many sacrifices they make on our behalves throughout their lives. This year, in addition to reflecting on the role that my own mother has played in my life, I’m also pondering the legacy that I’m leaving with my daughter, Maryam.

I’m sure that she will come home this Friday with a beautiful and priceless hand-crafted work of art that she made in school. And, of course I will cherish this precious symbol of her love for me as I cherish all of her thoughtful gifts. But, whatever the Mother’s Day gift this year will be, that is not the most important thing she’ll give me. The most significant gift she gives me is the sense of hope that she carries with her everywhere she goes.

Now that I’ve been a mom for nearly a decade I know what huge dreams mommy’s have for their babies. I can still remember looking down on my daughter’s perfect, angelic little newborn face and feeling so full of love and awe that I could burst! Accompanying that love was a hope so fierce that I couldn’t contain it. My hope for my daughter was then and still is today that she worship the Lord God above all else; and, that she allow her life to be a shining light that acts as a beacon of hope, strength and service for both herself and for others.

Since I have this newly found perspective, I can be an even better daughter to my own mom as I know that what she wants for me is the same simple thing I want for my child. That I keep the torch of hope burning strong and steady. For I know that this hope is the legacy that has been passed down for countless generations of mothers. And, I intend to honor that legacy by allowing that hope to give birth to a powerful and lasting outcome. That powerful outcome is me knowing and pursuing my life’s purpose without fail.

Indeed we must be true to ourselves by living our lives as we choose and honoring the differences that exist between our mom’s and us. As we do this, we exist in a place of authenticity that also honors our moms. I believe the best gift we can give our mothers is to live purposeful, powerful lives. In our daily lives we give back to our mom’s when we honor our Creator and respect our fellow human kind with mercy and patience. We give our mom’s a present when we honor ourselves and remain in integrity. We give our mommy’s a priceless memento when we cherish the precious gift of life that she labored so diligently to bring to us. That means going about our days remembering that we are still someone’s baby and that makes us unbelievably special! Are you reflecting that awareness in your day-to-day life? Too often as we get older, we tolerate circumstances for ourselves that we would NEVER want our children to endure. Remember that you’re still someone’s child, whether your parents are living or not, and they want the best for you just as you do for your kids.

My challenge to you today is to ask yourself if you are truly honoring your mother’s or mother-figure’s hopes for you in how you are living your life. If your answer is “yes”, then wonderful! But, if you must respond with a “no”, then what will you do to change that, starting today?