
When I was around the age of twelve or so, I suddenly became aware of how wise my mother was. As a younger girl I hadn’t given it much thought, but, now I realized she always came through with the right answers and suggestions.
It was the closing of an era for me, the era of taking something for granted. I suppose that children assume that they are entitled to this wisdom from their mothers. As a matter of fact, it is barely thought of at all.
Being a typical kid, I didn’t ponder on this for very long, but it remained in the back of my mind, catalogued in the memory banks somewhere. When I was a young mother myself, at eighteen, I looked down at my baby daughter and remembered these thoughts. I wondered then if I would measure up. It seemed a monumental responsibility --- to be wise!
My mom made a smooth transition from being a wise mother to being a wise grandmother, and she made it look easy. What I wasn’t aware of is that I was learning from her – and believe it or not I was doing a pretty good job of being a mother. By the time my second baby daughter was born, I didn’t think about it very often. This seemed a natural job for me and it didn’t seem to take much conscience effort at all.
After all these years I think I have figured it out. I was blessed with a mother that had a special talent for using common sense. She didn’t panic when faced with a new problem. She calmly reasoned it out and proceeded from there. All of her answers and suggestions were based on one principle. She loved me! I know now that it’s very difficult to be wrong when love is guiding you.
When I was a little girl, when mom, David and I were alone, she faced some tough times. A young mother alone, raising two kids as best she could. The thing is, that a stronger memory remains for me. The security I felt was totally provided by my mom. She was so strong and wise that the feeling was transmitted some way to me and my brother.
I know she regretted that we had some hard times when we were little. What she didn’t know is that I wouldn’t trade those times for anything. I had a much greater gift than a room of my own, pretty clothes and lots of toys. I had the greatest gift of all – a mom that made sure that I was loved.
My mom would have been age 93 on January 29, 2011. I can’t tell her “Happy Birthday” in person, but I can share memories of her. It’s my gift to her, to never forget her. patj
1 comment:
I am repeatedly reminded of things my mom said when I was younger. Even more often, I can see her, as she was then, confident and loving in that way only a mother can be. When I had children of my own, I used to think, "Why bother to explain something to them. They aren't listening anyway." Now I know they were listening, just like I was at their age, even though it didn't seem that way at the time.
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