Over this Mother’s Day weekend my mind pondered the question: “What would the world be like without mothers? Yes, I know the physical reason why the world needs a woman to actually procreate with a man to produce children. However, I’m talking about the emotional need for strong mothers who mold us and make us into better people.

When I was a little girl my mother was always the one cooking, cleaning, and taking care of us kids when we were sick or hurt. Not that my dad couldn’t occasionally help but I don’t remember my dad doing many of those chores when I was younger. As my brothers and I got bigger we helped with chores and some house cleaning. We might have even helped a bit with the cooking, but not too often I assure you.

I can remember my mom working all day but still coming in and doing all the cooking. I now find myself doing the same thing in my family. Though occasionally my husband may cook, 9 times out of 10 I’m figuring out “What’s for dinner?” Of course this usually means also running to the grocery store to get the food too as I sing at the top of my lungs “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan” as strangers drive past my car wondering what in the world am I doing or singing about.

What would the world be like without mothers being sounding boards? Mothers always try to listen to their children from the heart and make sure they feel secure and safe. I know mothers can become “Mama Bears” if they feel like their children are threatened in any way too. But what if mothers weren’t there to soothe away the hurts and the fears? What if they weren’t there to guide you, nurture you, protect you, and even motivate you to keep going?

I know so many times in my own life I have wanted to quit and just give up, but I had a praying mother who wouldn’t let me. She kept pushing me along this winding journey and told me to “Get up. You’ve got this.” each time I fell down. With love and enduring patience she has been the one constant reminder that I was enough. I had enough and God Himself was more than enough if I just believed in myself and trusted Him with my life.

But what if the world didn’t have mothers who were compassionate and many times selfless to the needs of not just their children but to the whole family unit and more? What if there weren’t mothers who stayed home with the babies to raise them right? What if there weren’t mothers who took that extra job to pay for the never- ending bills? What if there weren’t mothers who pushed their children to finish their education even though she never graduated from college? What if there weren’t mothers to make life’s journey bearable?

I know some people have lost their mothers early in life. Some have lost their mothers later in life. Some have had grandmas, aunts and sisters step up to be the mothers that they needed to navigate through this life. So remember though Mother’s Day may have come and gone, mothers should be celebrated and appreciated every day. Because the world would definitely be a scary place if the world didn’t have mothers.