Tea with the Queen

"A mother's heart is always with her children." - Proverb 

"Only God himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children." - Billy Graham

"If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been." - Robert Brault

"Mothers of teenagers know why animals eat their young." - Unknown

"Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible." - Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul

"Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease." - Lisa Alther

Yesterday, me and my sister joined our mom in attending a ladies' tea at our church here in Mexico City. A beautiful message given by our mom (who spoke in Spanish and of whom we are so proud) was followed by a brief questionnaire; conversation among friends; coffee, cupcakes, and cheesecake; and a silly game. The game involved a queen sitting on a chair (her throne) who commenced to demand random objects from the other players, divided into two teams. She would say, "La reyna pide..." (The queen asks for...) before proceeding to request an agenda, a blue pen, red lipstick, etc. The first team to get a person to the queen with the object in question would then receive a point. Above is a picture of the queen with her royal "crown" (or more chiefly, a party hat cut into a crown by someone who shall remain anonymous). 

The simple game led me to think of the significant role of a mother. She is the queen in her own family. Her duties, in respect to raising her children, include kissing places that hurt, cleaning up messes, scaring away monsters under the bed or in the closet, patching up clothes, mending broken hearts, providing wisdom, listening to troubles, and encouraging confidence. She is always giving, loving, sacrificing. 

In my life, one of the greatest influences of who I am today and who I want to be in the future, is my mother. She's helped me through tough changes, challenged me to follow my dreams, and has been a significant role model in my life. So thank you, mom, and happy Mother's Day.