Mother's Day, The Honor Bestowed Upon Us

Another Mother’s Day is upon us. When Sean, my brother, and I were children, we really did up this holiday. We’d make horrible breakfasts, sticky art projects, and ashtrays that looked like dried cow pies (giggle!) :) I’d wondered why it was never made a national holiday with school… but that was wishful thinking for a day to sleep in!

My mom always thanked us over and over again. And, having learned to live without her, as many do learn though they don’t want this particular lesson, I’ve worked through so many issues concerning everything. And the most significant lesson I’ve learned recently is that my mom probably hated Mother’s Day, too.

Mom was adopted, and for all intents and purposes that would be the end of the story. It usually is for most people. However, mom was found by her brothers Albert and James. They were in Chicago and mom was in Fox River Grove. It’s not a pretty story, which so many of us have; suffice it to say that my mom yearned for a mother her entire life. And when I say yearn, I mean with every fiber of her being she yearned for a mom. So, Mother’s Day, I’m pretty sure now was not my mom's favorite holiday. Though my mom had her faults (don't we all?), my brother and I were pretty darn lucky to have her. She was tough, but she was fair, she was mean at times, but she always explained why later. Having had a mother that loved me, I really cannot imagine what it was like for my mom, having had her mother walk out on her when she was 4 years old, then being adopted only to be abused until she married my father at 16 years of age. I cannot imagine. Uncle Jimmy filled some of the gaps in mom's family history. But he could only do so much. He did once tell mom that she looked just like her biological mother. She never spoke of it again.

Which brings me to Mother’s Day isn’t really for mothers. Not really. It’s for our children to have one day when they can say I Love You, Mom, without embarrassment because all of their friends have to say it too. Be it a father standing by shaking a finger and mouthing, “Say it!” Or if they have a teacher forcing them to make a Mother’s Day present. Mother’s Day is the one day that children, father’s, sister-in-laws, mother-in-laws, daughter-in-laws, aunts, etc., can say, hey, this job you’ve chosen is really difficult, and by the grace of God you’re surviving it, and you’re looking pretty darn good doing it, too! We appreciate you, we love you, and we want to rejuvenate you because in 365 days we’ll celebrate you again! :D

The other aspect of celebrating a holiday such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day (I think Hallmark made most of them up to rack up sales – but that’s a different discussion for a different day!) is for those that no longer have a Mother, Father, Grandparent to celebrate, what do you do? Borrow from a friend? I’ve had women in my life, thank God, that have been all of the above at one time or another. The one thing that is the coolest about God is that He gives you exactly what you need when you need it. And now you’re rolling your eyes because you didn’t want this, and you didn’t ask for that. But didn’t this or that bring you here? Didn’t this or that teach you something that you otherwise would have never known? Didn’t the one thing you never asked for but got give you something so remarkable that you wouldn’t have been able to learn it any other way? I always tell my boys when they grumble, “They call it Growing Pains for a reason, sweetheart. Want me to add something to what I’ve already asked of you?” Makes me wonder, when we grumble, does God cross His arms, raise an eyebrow, and say to our souls, “Want more? I got a whole lot of whoop-a$$ I could give you about now, child.”

In ending this, because my goodness I’ve lost an hour because I love to write, and I always work something out within myself while I share with whomever might read my blog; here’s the words to a song by Celine Dion. For those of you who have lost your mother, your grandmother, whoever raised you, listen to the song via YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I3TxyYDcSw) . Find a place where you can be alone, and take Kleenex with you. It is a wonderful song that puts in ways that I could only hope to.

God's Blessings to you, may He walk with you, and more importantly, may you walk with Him.

Angeline

“Goodbye’s The Saddest Word”

Mamma
You gave life to me
Turned a baby into a lady

And mamma
All you had to offer
Was a promise of a lifetime of love

Now I know
There is no other
Love like a mother's
Love for her child

And I know
Love so complete
Someday must leave
Must say goodbye

Goodbye's the saddest word I'll ever hear
Goodbye's the last time I will hold you near
Someday you'll say that word and I will cry
It'll break my heart to hear you say goodbye

Mamma
You gave love to me
Turned a young one into a woman

And mamma
All I ever needed
Was a guarantee of you loving me

'Cause I know
There is no other
Love like a mother's
Love for her child

And it hurts so
That something so strong
Someday'll be gone
Must say goodbye

Goodbye's the saddest word I'll ever hear
Goodbye's the last time I will hold you near
Someday you'll say that word and I will cry
It'll break my heart to hear you say goodbye

But the love you given me will always live

You'll always be there every time I fall
You are to me the greatest love of all
You take my weakness and you make me strong
And I will always love you Till forever comes

And when you need me
I'll be there for you always
I'll be there your whole life through
I'll be there please stop crying it’s me, mamma

I'll be your beacon through your darkest night
I'll be your wings that guide your broken heart
I'll be your shelter through the raging storm
And I will love you till forever comes

Goodbye's the saddest word I'll ever hear
Goodbye's the last time I will hold you near
Someday you'll say that word and I will cry
It'll break my heart to hear you say goodbye

'Till we meet again...Until then...Goodbye......

~ Celine Dion ~