The Matriarch

 

“Take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”

II Chronicles 15:7

May 1, 2011

               I don’t know about you, but I just relish this time of year and this special day. Mother’s Day is far too short, so enjoy it moms while you can. I never knew how important a mother was till I began raising a family. It was then that I appreciated the recognition and joys of being a mother: the ho-made gifts and smudged tokens of love; breakfast in bed with runny eggs and small clay pots where more dirt ended up in bed than with the seedlings. A picture of a bouquet of dandelions, though crudely drawn, reflects love overflowing from even the youngest heart and the world breathes a sigh of relief. Yes, goodness is growing. For some mothers this day may be one of heaviness and separation. Many have prodigals who have brought heartache and pain, but hang in there. Dwell on happier days and know there is hope. Children need love unconditionally, but they also require discipline. Broad shoulders and a bit of humor help. Whatever we write on the heart of a child never washes away. Some stories may perish, some songs are forgotten, but time does not change the engraved record in the heart of a child.

          Happy is a mother’s heart when she can laugh at herself realizing the awful taste in her coffee is the baby’s formula she mistakenly poured as creamer due to sleep deprivation; or when she endures interruptions while typing as she whisks her demanding three year old away to do the Mickey Mouse “hot dog dance;” or as she interrogates her 16 year olds first boyfriend requesting a urine and blood sample before their date. Treasure these days as they will be just a memory. A mother’s love means a life of devotion and sacrifice. Happy is her heart when her prayers are answered and her children feel they helped contribute to her temporary insanity, her noble purpose, and in some measure repaid her unceasing, unwavering love and life-long purpose as a “mother.” We don’t have to wait until Mother’s Day to thank our mothers for giving us the best gift: the gift of LIFE!

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!
Angela Michael