A Mother's Love

" A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts." ~Washington Irving

The love of a mother. Is there anything so true, so pure? I think not. I didn't completely understand this until the first time I held my baby boy. I wasn't alive until that moment in time. I existed, yes, but as a woman, not as a mother. And you haven't really lived until you've lived and loved as a mother. When I looked into that beautiful little face I realized what I was on this earth to do. I knew the reason I was born. Life came full circle.

I think that's why God gives us mothers; so that we can understand Christ's love for us. Though we can never know the fullness of His love, we better understand it through glimpses of a mother's love. Just as we are the image of our mothers, we were made to be the image of Christ. We are His. His child, His creation, His love. When we cry, He weeps with us. When we hurt, His heart breaks with us. When we laugh, He rejoices with us. He is with us every minute of every day. Time nor space can separate us from Him. He loved us so much that He gave His life for us. Is that not like the love of a mother? Would you not give your last breath so that your child might know the beauty of life?

I have never known true honor, true love, true fear, until I knew it through the eyes of a mother. It is my hope that one day when my children are grown, with little ones of their own, that I will still be the one they call, the place they run to. I hope that they draw strength from the lessons I've taught them. I hope that they draw patience and kindness from the legacy I've left them. I hope that they draw comfort from the love I've given them. I hope that they find peace in the assurance I've given them. I hope that they find laughter in the memories we've made. If they remember nothing else, I hope that they remember laughter. I hope that I can teach them to find the joy in everyday. I hope that I can teach them to live life fearlessly. I hope that I am their hero. I hope that I can prepare them for those times when the cold winds of life blow and that when I am no longer close enough to dry their tears, I'm the voice that gets them through...their reason to carry on.

I find that as a mother there are many times when I don't know quite what to do, when I think I can't carry on, and in those times I think of my mother, a beautiful, loving, caring woman with a big heart. I remember all of the things she has taught me...dedication, perseverance, loyalty, honesty, trustworthiness, the value of knowing Christ, how to face adversity with grace, how to laugh and to laugh often, how to be a friend, how to love, how to be a mother, how to be a hero...and I find the answer. And I rest secure, knowing that even if I can't, I'm never too far for her love to find me. That's the beauty of a mother's love. It transcends time, space and all understanding. It crosses all barriers, reaches out into the darkness and finds you wherever you are.

So, today I honor you, my mother, and those of you who have been and who are yet to be.

Happy Mother's Day!