I hope all of you moms, grandmoms, and great grandmoms have a wonderful day today. Perhaps you do not fully realize what you contribute to life or the value of your presence to us. We men simply do not have the gentleness of your touch, the warmth of your heart, or the compassion of your words. We are indebted to you for shaping our lives.
Today I'd especially like to acknowledge this special lady.
Happy Mother's Day, mom. I hope your day in Dallas is a very special one. I miss you and hope to see you soon. Coincidentally, on this day 71 years ago, this wonderful lady gave birth to the first of her 6 children, a daughter they named Becky Lynn. 23 years later, I married her.
No one who was there will ever forget that amazing day in Dallas. Becky and her mom were so much alike. They were often mistaken for twins.
37 years later, her eldest daughter would pass from our presence into the presence of the One she loved and served so faithfully.
Today, as I often do on special occasions, I visited her grave. Becky left her mark on many of our lives, but especially on mine. She was in fact the life behind my ministry. If I've enjoyed any measure of success in my career, it is largely due to her faithful, unwavering support. Though my students don't realize it, her life goes on through me and, as a result, through them. What an enormously important investment. It's an influence that cannot be erased.
On this day we appropriately remember those mothers among us, as well as those who lie beneath headstones that bear their names. Thank you, our heavenly Father, for each and every one of them.
