By Brad Warner
Contributor
I was reading a few blogs and articles about Mother’s Day recently. One interesting question: “How much is your mom worth?”
Apparently, according to Insure.com, the take-home pay an average mother could earn for doing all the work she does around the home is about $60,000 a year.
This incredible sum is what the average that mom would earn if she was paid an hourly wage for doing everything that she does – from driving, to laundry, to cleaning, to cooking, and so on. This total doesn’t include any wages that mom might earn for any and all paid work she does outside the home.
That’s amazing, isn’t it? How much is your mom worth?
In our culture, Mother’s Day typically includes some kind of small family celebration with gifts for mom, or your wife, or perhaps for grandmother. We express our gratitude towards our moms and mother figures on Mother’s Day.
And that’s a good thing in our culture.
When you ride in an airplane, the flight attendant will inevitably say, “In the case of a sudden change in cabin pressure, the oxygen masks will drop. To start the flow of oxygen, pull the mask towards you. Please make sure to put your mask on first. Then you can help your children or any other passengers.” I asked a flight attendant why they said that. She explained that a mother’s first instinct is to sacrifice herself and protect her children first. That’s what mothers do.
I know the boys and I are planning on doing something for mom (my wife). I hope that she will appreciate it. And I always try to honour my mom in a special way at this time as well. Honouring mothers is something that we should encourage both in our culture and in our families.
In the Bible, the fifth of the 10 Commandments is Exodus 20:12. It says this quite simply: “Honour ... your mother.”
There are many ways we can honour our moms. I encourage you to find out what your mom or wife or grandmother (or other mother figure) appreciates and then intentionally express your appreciation in a way that she loves.
And just don’t do it once a year.
Make it a habit.
Build some family traditions. Tradition can be a very powerful force for good and for evil. Build some healthy traditions that honour your mom.
Brad Warner is associate pastor at Burnett Fellowship.