Tribute

This was a speech I wrote last semester for a special occasion. Who would have thought that when I gave this, I could barely finish. Tears welled up in my eyes and I could scarcely spit out the words. My mother is a true blessing in my life. I love her so much :)

     They always say you know you’re Portuguese when every Sunday after church you spend three hours in line at the bakery waiting for fresh bread. Well, OK, we didn’t always wait three hours, but it seemed like forever. Regina Christina Tacheira Gross is my 5-foot-1-inch caring, considerate, and captivating mother. The Portugee blood that runs through her is determined for her family to eat good bread, gain a good education, and have a good home.
     The food that comes from my mother’s kitchen is heavenly. Her cooking satisfies and nurses even the most hollow stomach back to life. But she hasn’t always been such a sensational cook, or so I’ve been told. Before her and my dad officially tied the knot, she wanted to make sure they were clear on a few things:
“I can’t cook.” She emphatically told my dad.
“Well,” he thought for a moment, “You can read, can’t you?”
“Of course I can!” She smarted back.
“Then you can cook!”
     The rest is history; every night since he has come home to a sweet, aroma-filled house of food. When she was only 16, my mom quit high school and decided to move out on her own. She never graduated, she never went to college, and she never expected to meet my dad. Little did she know that only in a few short years, God would call her to educate four of her children. The woman with no education is still educating me.
     My mother’s childhood wasn’t what most of us consider pleasant. Rather than taking the sadness from her life and passing it down to her family, she constantly strives to show us how much she loves us. Whenever I’m feeling down and need encouragement, her love comforts me like a warm blanket on a frigid winter morning.
     Most importantly, my mother has shown me how to be a servant of the Lord. She is careful to make sure others are attended to before herself. Her daily sacrifices are not only an example, but one of my greatest blessings. My mother’s lifestyle instructs louder than her words.  In a crowd, she shines Jesus. When she’s alone, she shines Jesus. Her entire heart shines Jesus.