No matter your life circumstances, we all came into this world with the help of our mothers. Some of us may be blessed to have our mothers present as grandmothers, some of us may have had time with our mother on earth cut short, and some of us may have been born into the world by one mother and loved like her own by another. No matter your life circumstances, we all are here because our mothers said “Yes” to God’s plan. I am blessed that my mother swooped me up and nurtured me towards whatever God has in store, including athletic endeavors which have served as a significant fiber in the thread of my life.
There was nothing like hearing the sound of my mother’s voice cheering me on as I took the field or court. Whether or not the cheers were for the right calls or plays didn’t really matter – all that mattered was that my mother was present and engaged in the moment. My mom taught me the importance of mental preparation and of taking care of my whole self so I would be ready to give it all to the practice or the game at hand. I have always admired my mother’s steadfast faith which guides her each and every day, in all that she does, and I have only recently realized that she subtly introduced me to the connection between sport and spirituality.
At some point I unintentionally started to follow her lead in applying my understanding of faith and family to my athletic experiences – sacrifice, effort, discipline, putting others first, compassion, love and forgiveness are values attributed to both a strong family and prayer life, yet those principles are not compartmentalized but applicable to all areas of our interwoven lives. The lessons our mothers have taught us are revealed in unforeseen ways – their wisdom unfolds in the opportunities many of us have received, athletics in particular, in which they were unable to participate in themselves. However, their work ethic and understanding have enabled us to expand our horizons. With an inexplicable gratitude for all our mothers have done, how then can we follow their lead and say “Yes” to God’s plan, not for ourselves, but for others?