Many Moms

I have been blessed with many Moms.

While my own Mom was a big enough treasure, God told my story with other mother figures to care for and nurture me... I'm thankful today for His faithfulness.

I want to tell you about two of them - probably the two with the greatest and most lasting impact.

Rhonda Staples

Kelly Staples and I have been friends since first grade. We both moved to Eucalyptus Drive with one house in between ours, we both had pools (hers with a deep end & diving board!), we both LOVED My Little Ponies, we both thought our brothers and sisters were annoying, and we both were new at school. Kelly and I walked to school together everyday. In the beginning years we had to follow my brother, Adam, because we were too little to walk alone. Adam and his best bud, Michael, used to make us walk at least ten feet behind them, but we didn't mind. In fact, I think we were just as pleased with the arrangement as they were.

I spent as much time at Kelly's house as I did at my house from first through fifth grade. The Staples took me to church - often. In fact, that church is where I accepted Christ many, many years later when I was 22. They had Sunday school, G.A.'s (Girls in Action), G.A. camp, Sunday night dinner, Wednesday night dinner... The Staples had six children and they never hesitated to load me into their station wagon for the five minute drive to Hunters' Glen Baptist Church. They loved me. They cared for me, welcomed me into their home and family, and never made me feel like a burden. In fact, they're still this way even though I see them so rarely these days.

God gave me this extra Mom during very formative years, and I'm thankful for Ronnie!

When the Staples moved to Houston after our sixth grade year, Kelly and I became lifelong penpals. Life had been changing as we entered adolescents and in many ways I think it was a blessing that we ended up far apart because I think our friendship could have easily ended up as 'that girl I knew in elementary school.' Now Kelly is married to Josh and the mother of two beautiful little girls, Adeline & Emerson. It has been so fun to see her as a mother. We're all grown up now ... and seeing Kelly's face on her daughters takes me immediately back to grade school and the girl with the My Little Pony castle who moved in down the street...

Ellen Polze

Ellen might be the reason Kristen and I were ever friends. After our bumpy start, God softened Kristen's heart toward me in part, I believe, by her mother's casual comment about liking me after a ride home from a party in seventh grade.

Ellen became a surrogate Mom to me during a very tough time in my life. For starters, I was a full fledged adolescent, then on top of that my parents had split up and my Mom was in the midst of her first battle with leukemia. I was a giant walking wounded heart and a very scared little girl. I'm still in shock when I reflect on God's mercy during those years.

It didn't take long for Kristen and I to be attached at the hip, as my Mom would say. I wish I knew where that old video is of Kristen and I running our mouths off about all kinds of random things and people - just to be a fly on that wall once more. We spent a ridiculous amount of time at Kristen's house. I loved loved loved being at the Polze house - that really never changed. It was full of life and laughter and yummy treats. Ellen always seemed genuinely glad to see me and that burrowed deep into my soul. She loved me in ways I hadn't been loved by other adults - she paid attention to me - she told me stories - she played pranks on me - she listened to my stories - she asked me questions. She was present when the adults in my family were scrambling to find which way was up. Ellen stepped up to a plate she had no idea the God of the universe placed before her on my behalf. I am so thankful for Kristen's Mom!


God's faithfulness to me and lavish love for me is evident in these two of my many Moms. I am celebrating this Mother's Day the beauty of relationships with other women of all stages of life. The Moms and the daughters who have loved me through the highs and low ... and deep deep dark lows ... they are the women I love deeply in return. I hope that someday when I have a family I am able to see not just my Mom, Kathy, in my parenting choices, but also the pieces of my many Moms I've been blessed to be loved by along the way.