My Mom

The actor, on his way to buy a Mother’s Day gift, expresses the challenge of outdoing his brother Elliot, who always gives the perfect present. He humorously explores the influence of mothers throughout history, from Alexander the Great’s conquests to Moses' mother’s faith, Timothy’s upbringing, and Salome’s ambitious request for her sons. The monologue highlights Mary’s devotion, even in grief, and concludes with the realization that, despite all their sacrifices, mothers serve selflessly. The actor finally accepts that no matter the gift, nothing can surpass the love he has for his mother.

Cast: 1 (m or f) monolog

Bible Reference:  John 19:27

Set:  bare

Lighting:  standard

Sound: wireless mics if available

Song: none

SFX: none

Costumes: standard

Props: none

Special Instructions: none

Time: 10

Sample of Script:

Actor comes on stage.

Actor: Hey, you caught me on the way to the store.

I just realized . . Mother’s Day coming up . .

I need to get something extra special for Mom this year . . Well, I mean, I always want to get something extra special for my Mom. . .

But, like, this year, . . it’s gotta be way special.

Way beyond Elliot . .

Elliot, he’s my older brother . . .

Mister Perfect Gift Elliot is who he is . .

Got an Elliot in your family?

The kinda guy always makes the right gift choices?

I mean that’s my brother Elliot.

I mean I could go out and buy a gift that would put food on every table around the world . .

What does my big brother Elliot do? . .

Elliot goes and buys a gift that makes food unnecessary . . .

Know what I mean . . .?

I sit up nights dreaming up a sure-fire gift guaranteed to top them all . . .

What happens?

Elliot’s gift is so spectacular it sets a new standard for gift giving in the known world.

Don’t get me wrong . . I like Elliot a lot . .

Well, except at gift giving times.

And with 6 kids in our family it means we are never that far away from gift-giving.

But I am off the subject here . . .

Mother’s Day . .

Time for all of us to especially think of all the great things our moms have done for us . .

I mean throughout history moms have been the real powerhouses of politics, finance, industry.

Oh I mean maybe the men got credit for things but it was the women who were the power behind the throne . .

Example . . . take Alexander the Great . . .

History records how Alexander conquered Persia in a masterful war . . .

I am here to tell you there is an untold story behind Alexander the Great’s Persian conquest . .

See Alexander’s mother wanted new carpet and everyone knows Persian rugs are the very best on the market.

So Alexander’s mom says, “Son, go drop by Persia on your way back from meeting with your teacher Aristotle. Grab a gazillion yards of their finest carpet.”

So the whole Persia thing was actually instigated by Mom Alexander.

You maybe never heard that story before.

Or what about Moses and his mom?

From what we read in the Bible Moses’ mom had it all figured out that she would put little Moses in a basket and leave him in the Nile River. Somehow Moses’ mom knew that Pharaoh’s daughter would wander by and instantly fall in love with Moses. It’s amazing that Moses’ mom knew this would happen . . but thing is moms are like that, they know what their kids are thinking, even before the kids think the thing through.

Example when we were kids and the thought hits me, my sister Kate has this stash of amazing candy and I thought maybe I would . . .

And before I could even form a plan in my mind my Mom says, “Ronald Edward . . .” . . see that’s my name . . , “Ronald Edward, don’t you even think of touching your sister’s candy!”

I mean, how do mothers do that?

Sorry I got a bit off track there . .

Back to Moses and his mom.

Picture Moses’ mom getting this basket all ship-shape to be a sailing vessel for Moses.

Moses is just sitting there watching his mom lay on the tar and pitch on this basket.

Moses says . . “You’re gonna do what Mom?

Mom, I love you like crazy and think you are about the coolest mother in all Egypt but . .

Fact is Mom, the Nile river is the longest river in the world and it pours out into the mighty Mediterranean Sea . .

I mean it’s all fine and good if by some miracle my little basket gets lodged in the reeds but if it were to break free I could end up a Mediterranean morsel for hungry birds of the Nile.

I’m not here to give you backtalk, or second guess you Mom, but what if we maybe revisit your idea maybe?”

But guess what . . . Moses’ mom she was bang on, Pharaoh’s daughter came along at just the right moment and from that moment on Moses was a big wheel in Pharaoh’s castle.

I mean doing this with your kids today, setting them adrift in a Walmart basket, that simply is frowned on in society.

I know this for a fact from my own childhood.

My little brother Jeffrey, he was what you might generously describe as a challenge. Always yapping, I mean when there was nothing to say, Jeffrey would say it, know what I mean?

Anyhow, one day when Jeffrey was taking his despicable nature to a new level, I kinda suggested to Mom that we could maybe put little Jeffrey in a basket and put him in the creek that ran through town. And we, of course would pray that Pharaoh’s daughter would be waiting just downstream to claim Jeffrey for her own, never to be returned to our family. Thing is Mom didn’t see my fervent wishes for my brother Jeffrey to be spiritually driven and she axed the idea.

But I regress . . . Back to the subject at hand, which is our moms.

Throughout history, and particularly in the Bible, there have been excellent examples of really outstanding moms.

I’ll give you a for instance . . Two for instances actually. . .

Timothy’s mom and his grandmother.

Now there are two incredible moms.

Often we explain how we were born in unfavorable situations and how that shaped our life. But fact is Timothy apparently grew up in a divided home where his mom was a believer and his dad wasn’t.

But Timothy’s mom, Eunice, was a godly woman and his grandmother, Lois, was a devout woman. The apostle Paul spoke glowingly about how these two ladies taught Timothy scriptures, and taught him faith in God.

Paul is recorded as saying, “I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.”

So Timothy grew up with what we would see as missing a positive Christian male role model. But the knowledge and love of God was an integral part of what made Timothy an incredible foundation of the early church.

And we can’t forget Salome, mother of disciples James and John.

Oh I know what you are thinking . . . Salome, the woman who tried to play “Let’s Make A Deal” with Jesus, asking that her kids be given the positions of honor next to Jesus in heaven.

Most will boo and hiss about what Salome proposed . . and for sure likely her motherly exuberance was a bit over the top. . . . But when you look at the situation from a mother’s perspective, really, what was her request? . . Salome asked that her boys could spend eternity up close and personal with the Savior of all mankind. . . .

And, way I see it, that’s not a real bad request for any parent to make.

Want to see how the story unfolds? DramaShare members get this complete script— and access to our entire library—free! Not a member? You can still grab this individual script and bring it to life.