Mother's Day

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day.  When we were little Mother’s Day was easy, make a cute little card and terrible (but cute) little gift. Now that doesn’t work so well.

Now we are grown and our mother’s have done so much for us that those cute little cards and gifts don’t even come close to expressing the love and gratitude we have for them.

            

Years ago in Latin class we translated a passage about how animals gave birth to featureless blobs and then licked them into the shape they are supposed to be. At first we were confused and thought we translated the passage wrong, but the teacher explained. When baby animals are born they don’t have a nurse wipe them off and hand them to the mother, the mother must clean them herself by licking them. Clearly the author, and others, never got close enough to see that the baby already looked like a baby so they assumed the mother was licking it into the shape it should be. At first this seemed crazy, but it’s not really.

           

When humans are born we have physical features, but as far as feelings and personalities we could be called blobs. We cry when we are hungry, tired, or wet, and we all sleep and eat. We may have little personalities, but we are not the same as we will be twenty years down the line. Our mother “lick” us into shape by teaching us, reprimanding us, showing us, and loving us.

Every time she told us “No don’t eat/do/say that,” we learned to not do that. Sometimes that took the help of a belt, but the pain on her face taught us that sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to for the sake of others.

Every time we were hurt and she kissed it to make it better, we learned compassion towards other.

Every time she rocked us to sleep for hours because we didn’t want to go to bed, we learned patience.

Every time she gave hugs and kisses, we learned how to show love.

Every time she stayed up late helping with school projects, we learned sacrifice.

I have yet to find a card or a gift that clearly states all the amazing things my mother did for me. But hopefully I remember to tell her those things every once and a while.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms.