I started a Word Wall today for people to post one word that describes their mom, and I chose “Warrior” for my mom. 

My mom’s life was not always what she wanted it to be.  In fact, at times, I think it sucked.  But, I never heard my mom say a single bad word about anybody or anything.  She never complained, never griped or moaned.  Never became bitter.  My mom also stuck to her guns on things she believed in, mostly in Jesus.  She dug in quietly, silently, steadfastly.  She was so stubborn sometimes it drove me nuts.  I hated it when she was right, and she always was. 

I could go into how my mom died a God-awful death from Alzheimer’s, but I’m not going to go there.  At least not today.  I just want to say that my mom was, indeed, a Warrior.  And to quote Pat Benatar (not scriptural, I know), I hope she’s up in heaven singing “I am a Warrior and Victory is mine”. 
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Rock on, mom.
 

​Book Review and Giveaway – Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mothers and Daughters by Blythe Daniel and Helen McIntosh, 2019.  SHARE or COMMENT on this post for a chance to win a free copy, given away on Weds., May 8, 2019.

I just finished reading this book as a Reviewer.  I have to admit that I wasn’t sure how relevant the topic of mom-daughter relationship ‘mending’ would be for me.  I am a daughter, but my mom passed away 15 years ago.  And, even while she was still here, I don’t recall any big, relationship-crushing fallouts between us.  I am now a mom, but I have only sons, so I was not sure how I could use this book geared toward mothers and daughters. 

Yet, I know many, many adult daughters who do have ‘unfinished business’ with their mom – and many moms that have things left undone with their daughter – and for them that’s a big deal (and it should be).  So, this book must be highly relevant for a lot of people, including my blog readers.  Besides, any book with potential for bringing healing in a family through the application of biblical truths is definitely worth a look.
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This book is co-written by a mother (grandmother, therapist) and her adult daughter, sharing their own story of refining and strengthening themselves, as individuals and as a mother-daughter dyad, through thoughtful and intentional application of the Word.  Not only scripturally sound, the writers’ insights and suggestions are real, understandable, and do-able.  They even provide models and scripts for key steps, like how to start an awkward conversation, or how to move forward from a ‘discussion’ gone horribly wrong (e.g., screaming, crying, stalemate).  Check out the book’s free resource, “Seven Ways to Start a Conversation”, at www.ourmendedhearts.com 

There are also a number of inspiring anecdotals included in the book, told by friends and faith sisters of the authors who have refined their relationships with their own mom/daughter.  The specific scenarios shared for illustration were not always directly relatable for me, as I think the authors and I come from quite different backgrounds.  Yet, I found the underlying parent-child dynamics (and struggles) to be pretty universal.  With that said, I would suggest this book would be valuable for anyone in any type of family relationship (spouse, parent-son, sibling) that could use a tune-up, whether it’s to just improve communication or to herd out the proverbial elephant in the room. 
 
As a disclaimer:  I am not paid to review or recommend this book.  I was given a copy to read and one extra copy of the book by the publisher for the giveaway.  If you decide to order the book through my Amazon link, I do receive a commission that helps to support my blog.