Let's Hear It for Mom & Dad!

With Mother's Day and Father's Day coming up, we asked readers to brag about their moms and dads. Here's what you had to say.

by Mark Moring

"Mom shows me the way"

My mom is my best friend," says Daisy Fitch, a 16-year-old homeschooled student from Dulac, Louisiana. "We can talk about anything—music, boys, whatever. Mom always tells me, 'I was 16 once. You can tell me anything. You won't shock me.'"

Daisy and her mom, Brenda, are often on the road with Daisy's dad, Wesley Fitch, a traveling evangelist who preaches at revivals throughout the South. While he's in the pulpit, Daisy and her mom provide the music, with Mrs. Fitch playing the piano while Daisy sings.

"We share a love of music," says Daisy, adding that Point of Grace, Out of Eden and the Katinas are their favorites. "We love to sing together."

The most surprising thing Daisy likes about her mom? "That she disciplines me," she says.

Daisy explains.

"Mom lets me do a lot of stuff I want to do, but not everything," she says. "That's how I know she cares. She won't let me do something if she knows it's not good for me. And she disciplines me when I do something wrong. That's another way I know she loves me. I may not like my punishment, but it teaches me that what I did was wrong so I won't do it again.

"She gives me godly advice, too. And by watching her walk with God, I learn how to walk with God. Being a Christian teen is rough, and sometimes—OK, a lot—I fall. But God has sent me a mother who loves me s-o-o-o much that no matter what I do, she'll be there to pick me up, dust me off, and show me the right way to go. … you know, after I'm done trying to do it by myself. That's why my mom is the best!"

"Dad's just such a rock" Dana Artinger says her dad "has always been there" for her, especially through hard times. Her parents divorced when she was in third grade, and she's lived with her dad, Kelly, since she was in sixth grade. "Our family has had some hard times," says Dana, 16, a sophomore at Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California. "When my mom wasn't there for us, we could always look to my dad as an example. He's incredibly dependable. He's such an awesome example of godliness, just such a rock.” "Dad and I have a great relationship. I can come to him with anything. I love talking to him about the things that are going on in my life, like my friends, sports, and what's going on at school in my classes and stuff.” "We have a lot of the same interests. We're both really into music; we're really into worship music right now, bands like Delirious and Sonicflood. And we both love the beach. I like to swim, and my dad's a surfer. I'm not as into surfing as he is, but when I was in diapers, he used to put me on the front of the surfboard!"

"My father is always willing to listen and give the best advice he knows. He is always there when I need him, and he never gives up on me. He understands what motivates me and uses it to help me achieve everything I want out of life. He is a strong Christian and has had a great influence on my decision to serve the Lord. My father means the world to me."
— Rebekah Lauzon, 15, Flagstaff, Arizona

"My mom is a single mother with three children. She works really hard to put food on the table every day. She doesn't complain about the rough times; she just keeps a strong smile on her face, and prays to God every day. She tells us to keep going and to never stop trusting God. My mother always stays strong."
— Lindsey Alexander, 14, Augusta, Maine

"I'm so blessed to have my mother. She's a wonderful friend and mentor. After school when most people are rushing to be with their friends, my mom and I are sitting in the kitchen, talking for hours. We come as a package deal. How many people my age can honestly say their best friend is their mom? I can."
— Erin Smith, 17, Greenville, South Carolina