To all of you who are mothers, Happy Mother’s Day tomorrow!
The mother-child relationship is one that is often discussed, analyzed, and sometimes, endured. If you have a dear, sainted mother, you are very lucky, indeed. The ideal mother makes your favorite cookies, mends your clothes, sees that you get your childhood shots, and oversees your well-being. That level of caring continues through life, until Mother is old and needs YOU to take care of her.
Most women, that I know, do not, or perhaps did not, have an easy time in trying to relate to their mothers.
The other side of the coin is having a mother who is neurotic, self-centered, demanding, and who attempts to lay a guilt trip at the door of her child, at every turn.
Then, of course, there are mothers who have mixed qualities, making them kind of a Jekyll and Hyde type of personality. With this type of woman, one never knows what to expect. She may be happy, or tragically and sadly despondent. She may be reasonable, or she may be exceedingly hateful. She may overwhelm you with her generosity, or she may demean you because you have not met the mark, in her expectations of what you should do for her.
No matter what kind of mother you might have, if you are like the rest of us, you will try to make the most of what God has given you. No matter how you slice the pie of life, you have only one mother. She may die before you do. Everyone knows that the act of dying automatically enrolls one in sainthood status. Alternatively, she may live a very long time, against all odds, making the family wonder how she can continue to be supported, financially.
On Mother’s Day, we honor mothers, or their memory. I can think of a wide range of adjectives for my late mother, some complimentary and others critical. I have come to realize that no one is perfect, and I, too, have my faults. They seem to be increasing with maternal aging. In fact, I have to keep a check on my own behavior so that I don’t repeat the actions that I did not like in my mother.
Being a mother is more difficult than becoming a mother. It is a lifelong commitment to love and to cherish our children, no matter what happens or what silly mistakes they might make. With any relationship, love is truly about forgiving. We must forgive ourselves and love ourselves before we can love others. If you think about it, that is not a statement with selfish intent and makes a lot of sense.
Tomorrow, I urge you to honor your mother, in any way that you can. If she is not here, think of the good times, just the good times you had together. The most we can hope to do is to reap the respect and love of our own children, grandchildren, and, with any luck, great grandchildren. Try to be the best Mom you can be, and you will feel blessed.
Enjoy the day!
Pat
