May we mindful of the myriad of emotions Mother’s Day stirs up for people we love.

Today we pray for moms.

We pray for the moms who bake cupcakes, wait in car lines, pack lunches, juggle sports schedules and preside over petty playground squabbles.

We pray for the moms who struggle to feed their children, worry for their safety and hope for a better tomorrow.

We pray for moms who never intended to be stay-at-home moms and find themselves at home…and at work…trying to get it all done.

We pray for moms who are out of patience, energy and imagination after a year of juggling even more than a “normal” year calls for.

We pray for moms who fiercely advocate for children with special needs. Give them the strength and wisdom to be teacher, therapist, nutritionist and medical manager as well as bedtime story teller and snack supervisor.

We pray for the moms who have lost their children and children who have lost their mothers.

We pray for moms who wonder what they could have done differently and those who know exactly what they should have done differently.

We pray for those still waiting to be moms.

We pray for reconciliation for moms who are estranged from their children.

Today, we thank God for moms.

Thank you for moms who hug and encourage and guide us along our way.

Thank you for moms who put in the blood, sweat and tears to make life work–day in and day out.

Thank you for moms who have paved the way for future generations of women.

Thank you for moms who have raised men and women who make a difference every day.

Thank you for all women who have acted as a mother to us over the years when we needed them the most.

Thank God for moms. Amen.