I know a good mama when I see one and every time I go to 3312 Stagecoach Road in Mitchell County, Georgia, I see one. If I were a betting man, I would bet if I saw your mama, I’d see a good one. Since this Sunday is Mother’s Day, I hope you get to see yours or I hope you will remember your mama with great love and honor.

Every now and then, I am reminded of the South Central Bell Mother’s Day commercial the late, great Alabama head football coach, Paul, more famously known as “Bear,” Bryant made. The Bear is in his office and tells of the importance of their players remembering family.

Mother’s Day is coming and Bryant looks into the camera and asks, with the same sincerity that he used to recruit the best young men in the nation, “Have you called ‘yo’ mama today? I sure wish I could call mine.”

I’m glad I can call mine and my brother and sister feel the same way. We try to talk to mama every day.

Mamas need and deserve a call from the children that they have helped to raise. There is a song, popular long ago, that spells out the word “Mother” and it begins, “M is for the million things she gave me.” In most cases, a million things don’t begin to cover all the things mamas do.

Another line in the song pertains to eyes. “E is for her eyes, with love light shining.” Mama’s ability to see has diminished these last years, due to macular degeneration. Many people suffer from that disease and mama does the best she can despite this infirmity

With humor, I ought to suggest to her that she use the ones that are in the back of her head; those eyes that used to see things we did when we thought she couldn’t see us. Those eyes were pretty good back then and I wish that she could exchange one set for the other now.

One of the advantages of being a pastor for a long term at a church is that I get to see families for many years and how they love each other. I also have the privilege of being with those families when the losses of mamas and daddies come. Precious, even in the midst of sadness, are those times.

Children remember mamas in lots of ways. As I meet with them and talk about mama, I ask them, plainly, what would you like others to know about your mother?  The first word, usually, is love. They say something like this: “My mama loved me.”

Most of the time, love is the bottom line for a mama. It’s shown in so many ways. I don’t know if it is supposed to be this way; our world is rapidly changing its norms for all the old-fashioned roles for living.

My mama fulfilled many roles in life. She worked outside the home and was successful. She was a leader in many ways and organizations. She was gifted with many graces. She loved my daddy for over seventy years.

But I guess I’m a little partial to the role she played as our mama. With all due respect to others, I think she was the best. I hope you feel the same about yours.

When this Sunday arrives, remember mama. If you can see her, do. If you can call her, do. But if you can’t, do this: Give thanks to God for her and His wisdom for making life better with good mamas!