Sunday, May 12, 2013

A Mother is Love

"One of these mornings, you're gonna rise up singing, and you'll spread your wings and take to the sky."
George Gershwin

Growing up, my family always celebrated Mother's Day in combination with the birthdays of my sweet Grandmother and my Aunt. Both of these lovely women have passed on and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of them. I am grateful for the time I had with my Grandmother, she taught me the value of finding happiness, patience and faith.  Her love of writing, poetry and music has shaped my life and how I express myself.  Finding beauty in oneself, creating art, observing my surroundings and letting go of fear are lessons my aunt strengthened in me. If I can carry on their legacy it would be to pass on these wonderful gifts to my boys. My son tells me we now have angels in the sky watching over us.

Today, Mother's Day is special because I am a mother now. I look back on my memories of being raised by a family filled with love, kindness and acceptance. We learn from our Mothers and they learn from their mothers. Any woman in your life that fills you with warmth and makes you feel needed and important is a mother. I am lucky to have so many women in my life helping me learn and to be loved by, but the most important woman in my life is my own mother. She is beautiful inside and out, artistic and imaginative. My heart and mind fill with memories of her singing to me, reading to me and caring for me. Her perfume, her makeup, her jewelry, fill my senses and return me to a time and place of comfort. I loved watching her sew, knit, garden, bake and cook. I learned everything I needed to survive on a basic level by watching my Mom. She quietly kept our house, and my sister and I clean. She curled or braided our hair before school, washed and ironed our clothes, sometimes twice because we would change our minds so often. Handmade Halloween costumes, birthday celebrations and Christmas holidays were made special because of her persistence to find or make the perfect gift.

My mother is a constant support in my life, a phone call away, and available to me and my boys on a moments notice. My mother reminds me of what I was like as a child and she helps me to understand the complex emotions and actions of my boys. She guides me on this new journey into motherhood, validating my questions, concerns and doubts. When I feel lost and tired and I need a hug, my mother is there for me waiting with open arms.


A Mother’s love is something
that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendored miracle,
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God’s tender guiding hand.

H.S Rice