Call Your Mom While You Still Can

This Sunday is Mother’s Day.

For many people, it will be filled with flowers, phone calls, brunch reservations, and family pictures. For me, it will be my first Mother’s Day without my mom, who passed away in October.

Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on what made her so special, and honestly, it wasn’t one grand moment or accomplishment. It was something much simpler and much rarer.

She ALWAYS showed up.

No matter what was going on in life, she was there. Supportive. Steady. Present. The kind of person who made you feel like nothing was too overwhelming because you knew you weren’t facing it alone.

Before one of my deployments, I found out at the last minute that I had to leave town immediately and wouldn’t have time to move out of my apartment. Without hesitation, my mom drove all the way to Lubbock, packed my entire apartment into an SUV, strapped things to the roof, and handled it all so I could focus on what I needed to do.

That was who she was.

She didn’t complain. She didn’t make things about herself. She simply showed up for the people she loved, and she did that constantly, not just for me, but for our whole family.

My mom had this quiet optimism about her that I don’t think I fully appreciated until I got older. She genuinely looked for the good in people. She wasn’t cynical. She wasn’t bitter. Even during difficult times, she carried herself with gratitude and kindness.

When I spoke at her service, I referenced Philippians 4:8:

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.”

That was her.

She lived that verse every single day.

Her grandkids absolutely lit up her world. She celebrated birthdays, milestones, school events, phone calls, and even the ordinary moments that most people overlook. When she was with you, she made you feel important. Fully seen. Fully loved.

And now that she’s gone, one thing has become painfully clear to me: Time moves much faster than we think it does.

One day, the phone calls stop. The visits stop. The chance to ask one more question, hear one more story, or say “I love you” one more time disappears.

So if your mom is still here, call her. Visit her.

Ask her questions about her life. Listen to the stories you’ve heard a hundred times. Thank her for the things you probably assumed would always be there, because someday you may find yourself wishing you had just one more conversation. I do, every day.

Mother’s Day can become easy to reduce to cards, flowers, or social media posts. But at its core, it should be about gratitude. About recognizing the people who carried us, encouraged us, sacrificed for us, and stood beside us long before we understood what that truly meant.

I miss my mom more than words can properly explain, but I’m incredibly grateful for the example she left behind. Her optimism. Her steadiness. Her faith. Her willingness to always show up for others.

That light still lives on in our family.

And I hope this Mother’s Day, you take the time to appreciate the people in your life whose light is still shining beside you.

I love you, Mom!