Saturday I sat in a room surrounded by women who have shaped my life. Some of them were family, many of them were simply women who have taken the time to pour into my life. As we celebrated my upcoming marriage, I looked around at the faces in the room and can tell you each one of them has lived up to the advice given in Titus 2.
Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives.(Titus 2:3-4, The Message)
My mother is wonderful. I love her and respect her for so many things. But one of the things I appreciate the most is she took to heart “it takes a village” and always encouraged me to develop relationships with other women. She never got upset when I would spend my afternoons or Saturday mornings spending time with other women talking about life and learning from them. She gave me one of the greatest gifts I believe one can give their children. The blessing to have other “mothers.” And these women have shaped and molded me into the person I am today. They have loved me, admonished me, encouraged me, supported me, included me, and celebrated with me. As I have watched them in their roles as wives, mothers, business women, and church leaders, I can honestly say, they have impacted my life in ways they will never understand.
As I prepare to be a wife, I am increasingly thankful for all the women in my life who have played a part in shaping who I am today. I am overwhelmed by the love they still have for me, the excitement they have over my upcoming marriage, and the way they encourage me in my spiritual life. Despite miles and months between visits, my time with them is always full of hugs, laughter, and conversations that pick up right where they left off. I will always be thankful for the “moms” I have had, the women who have become close friends, confidants, and role models. As I begin on the journey of being a wife, their advice and example is sure be invaluable. So I say, thank you. Thank you for the time invested in my life, the prayers, the hugs, the laughter, and the encouragement. I will be a better wife because of the examples set for me.
