Sharing Thoughts for Mother’s Day
Mothering is a job for which there seems to be no adequate training. Every so often new theories appear, are set forth as wisdom for a time, and then discarded; probably because most mothers find they don’t work. This job of mothering demands some very special abilities and over the years I have become aware of several of them I will attempt to share with you.
Mothers have special vision – they can see through walls and around corners. They have eyes in the back of their heads and they can see with their ears. They can see what their child is up to by the sounds in the next room. This usually elicits a command like, “get out of that cookie jar,” when there is no way she can see Jr. in the cookie jar.
Mothers have special hearing – they can sleep through a thunderstorm, fire engines, a football game or the late movie, but the smallest sound from a tiny bed and they are wide awake. This talent does not decrease as the child’s age increases. A teenager may turn off the car stereo, silently shut the car door, creep on little cat feet into the house and providing Mom is not waiting up, think he is home free, only to hear the next morning: “you came in a little late last night didn’t you?” This hearing is also effective long distance over the telephone. How many times has the adult child heard the words, “what’s wrong”, when they are trying to keep some worry from Mom. Her ears are especially tuned to catch any nuance of distress from her beloved off-spring.
Mothers also have selective memories – they may forget what they opened the refrigerator for, but they will remember all the cutsie and perhaps embarrassing little things baby ever did, and probably have a special place where they keep the evidence.
Mother is also a fierce fighter. When it comes to Jr’s rights and fair play, no foe is too big to tackle. She will defend him to neighbors, the school board, the armed services, separately or the whole defense department and the federal government. She will always believe the best, no matter the evidence.
Through a mother’s eyes and in her heart, children never grow old. They may be middle age, have their own business and not their own teeth, but to Mom they are “the kids.” She will always see her children through a special prism given by God. They will always be small and need her advice. She will always be vigilant, long after they are grown, and they will always need her deep inside because everyone needs someone who sees them only through the eyes of love.
Susan Russell
I lost my own mother almost nine years ago. And I miss her. As a teenager we did not see eye to eye at all. But when I became a mother myself, her love, advice, help and friendship became invaluable to me. There are days I wish she were still around so I can run things by her. She loved to shop; and when I see something she would like, I wish I could call her and tell her I saw something in the store she would love.
Rest sweetly Mummy!
The scriptures are filled with verses on mothers, but one of my favorites is;
Psalm 139:13-14
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
It is noteworthy that in the ten commandments after God speaks of how we are to worship Him, the next commandment speaks of fathers and mothers.
From Exodus 20:12
2 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
God understood the awesome responsibility which comes with being a parent and has placed this commandment high on the chart.
My friends, relationships do not always run smoothly but they run with love. If your mom is still with you, tell her how much you appreciate her. I wish I still could.
A Happy and Blessed Mother’s Day to all mothers and mother figures!