The Mother of My Children

Mother's Day Cake by Mary Meyer

She's not my mother, but she is the mother of my children, and that means she's put up with a lot more than my mother ever had to, including living with me far longer -- almost twenty-six years! And she was willing to bring four new people onto the planet, to feed them and clothe them and raise them as best she could, praying all the time that they would become the best they can be. And she was willing to invest a lot of time and effort into creating a home for us all, which included not only the emotional and spiritual aspects but also an incredible amount of hard work on the physical infrastructure.

"Her children rise and call her blessed --"

Most moms are not truly appreciated for what they have done until the children have gone off into the world and found out how really hard it is to be one. This is not something one can hold against the children; they are oftentimes so wrapped up in their own novel experiences that they can't see much past the end of their nose, and everything that happens is so new and different and confusing. But when they finally get a chance to take a breath and turn around and see where they have come from, and who it was that helped them along the way, and how much they really learned from their mothers -- is there any way to truly express that gratitude? It seems so trivial to just wish her a Happy Mother's Day; surely she should be granted a longer period of time to bathe in the shower of blessings from those who have been given so much! But there is never enough time or sufficient words to express what we wish to say, and suddenly the world has moved on and we are whisked away by our other cares and concerns, and mothers, with a sigh and a resolute smile, get back to work.

For those of us who will never experience motherhood, we are doubly grateful for the woman who has managed to split her time between caring for her young progeny and caring for the Old Child who spends his entire day not being there, then comes home expecting to be pampered and soothed and listened to and fed like some spoiled brat who showed up at the house thirty years ago and still doesn't have enough sense to wipe his feet when he comes through the door. We are in awe of her patience, her skills, her style, her beauty (both inner and outer); and we look forward to the day when she is finally given the recognition she deserves by the people who have benefited so much from all that she has done.

"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."