by David Melton
At this time of year you expect a college president to talk about graduates, but May is not only graduation month, it is also Mom’s month. Beyond Mother’s Day, all my life May has been “Mom’s month” since both my own mom and my wife have birthdays in May. Our oldest son, David, is one of the graduates in Boston this month, so graduation and “mom” collide from a whole lot of different directions for me. Given that, some things just have to be said.
I recently attended a victoriously heart-breaking funeral for an amazing Christian lady, Alicia Armstrong Free, daughter of longtime Fellowship leaders, Mr. and Mrs. Ken Armstrong of Emporia, KS. We lost Alicia so young to cancer, but at the celebration of her life, someone told of the graduate schools Alicia turned down when she learned her first child was on the way. That brilliant woman would never earn a master’s degree or write a classic book. The funeral speaker looked at Alicia and Scott’s children and said, “You are her books and her credentials!” What a treasure.
I love graduations. They matter more in our times than ever. But in the month of May, I can never have graduation without gratefulness. My own amazing mom, now in her 90s, could have had as many degrees as she wanted. I’m so glad she wanted to pour herself into four kids — even her quirky youngest boy! I’m so thankful my four sons have been served all their lives by my godly, brilliant wife. She has all As in her graduate courses, but the degree she wants still waits to be finished while we finish building Christian young men in our house. I hope my sons understand what a treasure God has given them.
I love the smile when I put a degree in a graduate’s hand. But when I peek back into the crowd, I see other smiles. And tears. Mom smiles and tears.