Mother’s Day Musing (05/11/2025)

This morning as I sat in prayer, my mind settled on the fact that it was Mother’s Day. I made a mental note to call my own mother to wish her a happy day. I sent my card and gift, but that isn’t sufficient; Mother’s Day is about acknowledging relationships. And then I remembered my own journey as a mom. And I thought of my writings, my poetry and journals from my younger years. I went to fetch them and found a journal entry to my first daughter when she was an infant.

Little One Asleep

Here I am again, Little One. I seem to find myself here beside your crib often, gazing down at you, so small and innocent. If only you could understand. I would take you in my arms and tell you of my dreams, my little one. I have so many. But you wouldn’t understand. To you the future means only a warm bottle and face smiling down at you.

None the less, I do have dreams for you. I have many dreams in fact for your future. I wish you a warm home, filled with love and understanding. I wish you a great number of friends, friends who you can turn to and who can turn to you, as well.

I wish for you a man like your father, a man who will take you as you are, love you all the days of your life, a kind man, a gentle but strong man, understanding and forgiving, because you will make mistakes.

And I wish you a child, like yourself, who will fill your lives with meaning. And maybe someday, you will find yourself standing at her crib, watching her sleep, and wishing for her, hoping for her. Maybe then and only then, will you understand how I feel standing here today feeling so insufficient, so helpless to really shape your future. Maybe then you, too, will settle for one wish, directed to the LORD, to protect you and give you love.

_________

I also found a poem I’d written nearly 50 years ago.

A Prayer for Mommy

I thought she was asleep

So, I went to tuck her in.

But when I reached her door

I heard her prayer begin.

“Dear God, bless my mommy,

She tries to love me so.

She needs your help sometimes.

It’s hard being a mommy you know.

“Sometimes she gets mad at me

And she scolds and tells me so.

But then she always looks so sad.

It’s hard being a mommy, you know.

“Today she was so very sad,

She cried a couple times, and so

I told her that I love her.

Cause it’s hard being a mommy, you know.”

I didn’t go into her room,

I went to mine instead.

I couldn’t forget her prayer,

So I knelt beside my bed.

“Dear LORD, bless by child,

I need and love her so.

Answer her prayer and help me,

It’s hard being a mommy, you know.”

_____

I find myself so blessed to have a mother still. She is 96 years old. I also find myself so blessed to be a mother of 3 and grandmother of 8. It is a vocation unto itself – a lifelong vocation that doesn’t end when one’s child reaches maturity. None of us are perfect mothers any more than we are perfect human beings. But what marks this day and makes it so very special is its focus not on perfection but on relationships – the foundations but also the purpose of our lives. We are created in love for love.

I think of all I know from Scripture of Jesus’ relationship with His mother, Mary. I think of the references to her “pondering” and totally understand. I think all of us mothers spend a lot of time pondering, trying to make sense of the blessings we’ve been given but also of the challenges that come with those blessings.  But most of all I think of two scenes from the Gospel of John: the wedding at Cana and the crucifixion. At the first, it was Mary who believed in her son even though he’d not yet demonstrated His power, and her Son did what she asked even though “it was not yet His time.” At the second, Mary was there, as painful as it had to have been, keeping watch with her son. And her Son knew this and not wanting her to be without a son proclaimed, “Mother behold your son. Son, behold your mother” to Mary and the disciple John.

This day is a day for relationships and a day for remembering with gratitude. Thank you, Mom. Love you, Mom.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.