Momma and I in Rome at the Trevi Fountain during our mother/daughter vacation together!
The hardest part of the Race has been missing loved ones back home. The worst part of missing someone is knowing you’re not there for them during the hard times and during the celebrations. I’ve experienced all of this during the past year and today is no different being Mother’s Day. I am extremely close with my mother, “Momma Mary” as I like to call her, and I believe this is the first Mother’s Day in the last 22 years that I haven’t been with her to help celebrate. I wanted to make a blog just for her to compensate for missing her special day. Mommy…you are the best mother, friend, spiritual mentor, pastor, confidante, physician, prayer warrior, protector, teacher, and guardian (other than Jesus of course) and God could not have given me a better person to bring me into this world and raise me up as the woman of God I am today.
You taught me the greatest lesson in the world: that following Christ is the way, the truth and the life and you’ve shown me an example of what a disciple looks like by leading your life the way you have…always seeking Christ first and foremost, above anything else. You taught me how to love everyone (good or evil), the importance of a sense of humor and how to minister to all people in every situation. You gave me blessing after blessing growing up and I can honestly say that I will never be able to thank you enough for all the gifts (big and small) you’ve given me the last 23 years. You and daddy have traveled the world, and were generous enough to take your two daughters with you. For that, I am forever grateful. It is your passion for travel, for people and for Jesus, that you passed onto me and those very passions are why I’m on the World Race. Every day of my life I can’t help but think that I’m the most blessed girl in the world for having you as my mother. One of my favorite things to hear from people is, “Angie you are turning into your mother.” What wonderful words of affirmation those are! I want to be like Mary Blattner when I grow up. 🙂
Thank you for all the lessons…from Bible lessons, to art history lessons, to European lessons, to life lessons, to big lessons and small ones, too. Thank you for believing in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. Thank you for speaking LIFE over me, always saying I was and am a “child of God, child of the covenant, prayer warrior, beautiful daughter of the King.” You blessed me with your words even when I was in your womb and I am walking in the confidence and inheritance of the Lord now because of your words. Thank you for teaching me the importance and power of prayer, especially at a young age, and that there is constantly a battle between good and evil and it is our job to fight the Enemy with Christ’s power and authority.
Thank you for all the naps we took together after church and all the times we layed in your bed and watched CNN or the History Channel. Thank you for our Mother/Daughter trips to Italy. They are some of the best memories of my entire life and I will cherish those times with you forever. Thank you for living the example of what a God-fearing woman looks like, and showing me to put faith in God’s plans for my life above all else. Thank you for being so hilarious, and giving me your amazing silliness and ability to make others smile and laugh. Thank you for all the trips to the Holy Land…those were all some of the best times of my life and they have all shaped my faith and my walk with God more than I could ever express to you. The Holy Land made the Bible come alive to me and I have you to thank for that. Thank you for coaching ever sport, teaching every Sunday school class, coming to every choir concert and musical production, and being my biggest fan at all of them. Thank you for always knowing exactly what to do when I’m sick…what a gift it’s been to have not just one, but TWO physicians as parents growing up!
Thank you for just being you, Momma Mary. You are the best there is, and there’s not a person alive that would disagree with me. I am always amazed by you, and I love you more than I can put into words/song/writing/interpretive dance. You are the most generous, hard working, caring, hysterical, loving person in this world. I can’t wait to give you a hug and a kiss when I get home and I can’t wait to tell you EVERYTHING God has done in me and through me this year. You are the best blog commentor, prayer warrior, mentor, counselor, supporter and encourager I have this year and I couldn’t have gotten to Month 8 of the Race without all those things and your love. I LOVE YOU. I miss you. I can’t wait to be reunited with you! Happy Mother’s Day, Momma Mary. You are my bestest. XOXOXO…
there’s nothing better than being with this woman!
