A Thank You Letter to My Mom on Valentine’s Day
Quinn Delamater
She is far more precious than jewels…Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come. Her mouth speaks wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue,” read the words of Proverbs 31, the passage of Scripture that Christian women look to for instruction on biblical womanhood.
Young Christian girls are often encouraged to be a “Proverbs 31 woman.” Some girls are blessed to have this type of role model, to provide them with “loving instruction.”
I know I sure am.
Growing up, there was no one who gave me more “loving instruction” than my mom. There she was, sitting at the kitchen table doing geometry with me, lending an ear while I practiced piano, and coaching me on my cheerleading toe touch. Discipling me when I strayed from obedience.
Gentle but firm, she earnestly displayed the attributes of the Proverbial woman.
Every Valentine’s Day when I was young, my mom presented me with a basket filled with goodies and told me I was her valentine. Valentine’s Day was “our” holiday. February 14th was a celebration of all our favorite things: baked goods, classic romcom movies, the color pink, and decorative hearts everywhere.
At twenty-two years old, Valentine’s Day continues to hold a special place in my heart. Wherever I am, whomever I am with, whatever I am doing, it prompts me to think of my mom.
My entire life, my mom and I have always enjoyed a close relationship. As an only child and stay at home mom, we spent more time together than the average mother and daughter duo probably do when I was growing up. My dad traveled frequently for work, so my mom and I spent many evenings and nights together just the two of us.
I often get asked, do you wish you had siblings? But the truth was, I couldn’t imagine it any other way - I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without the close influence of my mom for all those years. The nature of my intimate relationship with her was formative in a way that can only be described as one of God’s most gracious blessings to me.
Don’t get me wrong: there is something inherently beautiful about celebrating your relationship with your significant other. And many single women will celebrate female friendships on Valentine’s Day, alternatively hosting “Galentine’s Day.”
But, what about mother-daughter relationships? Have we overlooked Valentine’s Day as an opportunity not only to celebrate romance and friendship, but also the woman who raised us?
This Valentine’s Day, I would encourage you to celebrate your mom. Whether you’re single or in a relationship, the women who shape us with their “loving instruction” deserve a thank you.
