This is an article extracted from the BAMBI magazine here in Bangkok. The author(s) remain(s) unknown but the piece truly reflects the feelings/turmoils/joy all mothers and grammas alike go thru. Enjoy and do bring the kleenex out : )
This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf, saying "it's okay, Mommy's here"
Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted
This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in thier purse
For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes
And all the mothers who DON'T
This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see
And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes
This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors
And for all the mothers who overheat on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from their air conditioned cars, so that when thier kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I would not have missed it for the world," and mean it
This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner
And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realise how child abuse happens
This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained about making babies
And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words
This is for all the mothers who go hungry so their children can eat
For all the mothers who read Goodnight Moon twice a night for a year
And then read it again "just one more time."
This is for the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school A nod for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead
This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and thier daughters to sink a jump shot
This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls, "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home - or even away at college
This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there
Only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. RIGHT AWAY
This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them
This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's child or children, and gave their time, attention and love, sometimes totally unappreciated!
For all the mothers who bite thier lips until they bleed when thier 14 year olds dye thier hair green
For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting
For the mothers of survivors and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful and now pray they come home safely from a war
What makes a good mother anyway?
Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips?
The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner and sew a button on a shirt
All at the same time?Or is it in her heart?
Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter dissapear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?
The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 AM to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?
The panic, years later that comes again at 2 AM when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home?
Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?
The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for the young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation..
And mature mothers learning to let go
For working mothers and stay at home mothers
Single mothers and married mothers
Mothers with money, mothers without
This is for all of you
For all of us
Hang in there
In the end we can only do the best we can
Tell them everyday that we love them
And pray.
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