Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series. The series is week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will
feature a new post by some of today's best writer's (TriciaGoyer, Megan
Alexander, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Beth Engelman, Holley Gerth, Shellie
Rushing Tomlinson, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for another
unique perspective on Mother's Day.
AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted pearl
Contest runs 5/1-5/8 and the winner will on 5/11. Contest is only open
to US and Canadian residents.
and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of
charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe.
Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
And to all you MOMS out there! Happy Mother's Day!
A Mother's Day Wish by Shellie
Rushing Tomlinson
Heads up: Margaret McSweeney deserves a medal, or at least a commendation
for giving everyone a much deserved Mother’s Day rest. Okay, y’all can be seated.
I’m glad you agree, but you’re supposed to be taking a load off, remember?
Oh, and full disclosure—
Margaret didn’t know I was going to say that so I hope she leaves it in, and no, I didn’t
do it just because I’m ridiculously nostalgic about the theme of her community, although
I am. As the Belle of All Things Southern, one who is southern to the bone, I
have a thing about pearls.
When I was a teenager, add-a-pearl necklaces were all the rage. They may not be as
wildly popular anymore as they were back in the day but I still say they’ll always be
a classic concept: a gift of a single pearl on a dainty chain given with the intentions
of adding other pearls on important holidays and special occasions. Today, I see
add-a-pearls as a beautiful reminder of the accumulated wisdom we learn from our
mamas. Oh, sure, we snicker as young girls because not all of their advice strikes
us as useful and some of it seems positively fossilized, but hopefully, over time and
with the Father’s blessing, we gain enough perspective to see that these mama-isms—
the important values and the silly little lagniappe— are all increasing in value with the
years. By the way, that’s my Mother’s Day wish for each of you, that we’d each
take the time and the responsibility to thread these precious heirlooms into treasures
worthy of bequeathing to the next generation. Mother’s Day...
May I be honest? I’m looking ahead to the annual celebration with somewhat mixed
emotions. I’m not feeling very Mother of the Year. Instead of cooking dinner for my
most deserving mama and enjoying her company, instead of reveling in the love of my
husband, kids, and grands, (known as the Baby Czars of All Things Southern),
Just Weighs Heavy.” I’ve got Mama’s gift bought, wrapped, and ready to be
delivered by my beloved hubby, and my grown kids understand that I didn’t choose the
release date, but the facts remain: I won’t be there. (Shameless plugs time,
and my daughter-in-law celebrates the daily details of getting to know the
enjoy Mama tickling the ivory from the piano bench of Melbourne Baptist Church
and I won’t be overdosing on baby sugah. Sigh.
But, then, I mentioned mixed emotions earlier, didn’t I? Well, before some sweet soul
cues the violin music, perhaps I should lighten up and come clean on what Mr. Harvey
would call “the rest of the story.” It so happens that while the 8th of May will
find me miles from home, it’ll also find me in Savannah, Georgia where I’ve secured
myself a little reservation at that famous establishment belonging to Mrs. Paula Deen, the Queen of Southern Cooking. Indeed, y’all, I’ll be suffering for Jesus at The Lady and Sons. I know. It’s a dirty job, but
someone has to do it.
Regardless of where you spend it, I wish you each a Happy Mother’s Day. I’d love to
think that everyone reading my words had a mother like mine, a woman of faith who
taught me from childhood of the Risen Savior who saves souls and anchors lives. But,
dear reader, if that’s not your past, I hope you know it can be your future. I pray you’ll be
the one that begins such a legacy, and that you’ll be moved to start building that heritage
today.
I’d love to see y’all on the road somewhere. Watch for me, and I’ll watch for you.
I’ll be the one with an empty glass of sweet tea looking, always looking, for a refill.
Hugs,
Shellie
Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, known as the Belle of All Things Southern is a
radio host, columnist, author, speaker and founder of the All Things Southern online
community, www.allthingssouthern.com. She loves meeting, greeting, laughing and
learning with the whole wide world or as
many who wander her way. Shellie once
dreamed of writing great important things that
changed the world, only once she
started writing the world grinned and christened her
a humorist. Shellie saw this as
a problem at first, until she discovered that the laughter
softens hearts, builds
relationships, and invites her into people’s hurting hearts where she
can share her own, which is exactly where she wanted to be all along. Look for Shellie’s
latest book, Sue Ellen’s Girl Ain’t Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy wherever fine books are
sold.
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