“If a person has never encountered love toward himself or herself from any quarter, it is a very sad thing. But if that person can meet even one person who will show unconditional love – simply acceptance and compassion – if he knows that he is an object of someone else’s affection and love, it is bound to have an impact, and this will be appreciated. Because there is a seed in himself, this act of love will start to catalyze or ripen that seed.” Dalai Lama
It should be a very quiet Mother’s Day. My Mom is still weak from the after effects of the heart attack she had the other day. Most likely she will spend most of the day in bed with her little cat close by. Mom scared us all including herself. Hopefully she will use a little better sense now and listen when I try and tell her to take it easy. I will be able to catch things up on the weekend she doesn’t need to do it all.
There is a lot of emphasis today on mothers. For those of us who were unable to have children it can be a bittersweet day. We honor our own mothers but at the same time our arms ache because there are no children of our own to hold. I have been luckier then most in this respect because I had a niece and goddaughter that I had helped to raise. I am also godmother to her three children.
One of the scariest things about being a mother is the knowledge that there are other lives that you can mess up if you don’t do it right. I was always aware that I was my niece’s role model. I am the first one she calls in case of problems. I am the one she calls to bounce ideas off of. I am the one she calls when she needs a break from kids and wants to talk to an adult.
Looking back today as a “Mom” I realize I tired to teach her many things. I tried to teach her my love of all things geek. Happily she is as geeky as I am. I exposed her to the wonderful world of science fiction conventions early in life. I made sure though that she started as I did working as a gopher. Just because I ran the convention it didn’t mean that I was going to put her in a position of authority until she learned the job. In the end I was able to put her with guests.
I tried to teach her that when life gives you lemons make lemonade. I tried to teach her that the glass isn’t half empty, it is half full and do something with it. I tried to teach her to use the talents she has to better herself and to make this a better world. She has taken the lesson and run with it. She has been one of the voices of homelessness in North Carolina. She has spoken to newspapers and crowds of people and to a politicians. To anyone who will listen she puts a human face on the suffering. She breaks down the stereotypes and shows what real poverty is. She is almost through with her Master’s degree in a field that will help her continue the fight.
I tried to teach her what true love is. I told her that you have to be able to love yourself in order to learn how to love others. I taught her that giving love to others in the most important thing you can do for yourself. Once you learn generosity towards others then you will start experiencing a peace within yourself that you only get from the knowledge that you are making this world a better place to be in. Yes you can make a difference, one person at a time.
My niece called early to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day. She has kept in touch to see how her grandmother is doing. She is every bit as much my daughter as she is my brother’s. I was the one who told her to let her heart love again after a disastrous first marriage. I was the one who happily spent the hours hand sewing trim onto a dress so that my daughter could be a “Princess Bride” on her wedding day.
It should be a very quiet Mother’s Day. My Mom is still weak from the after effects of the heart attack she had the other day. Most likely she will spend most of the day in bed with her little cat close by. Mom scared us all including herself. Hopefully she will use a little better sense now and listen when I try and tell her to take it easy. I will be able to catch things up on the weekend she doesn’t need to do it all.
There is a lot of emphasis today on mothers. For those of us who were unable to have children it can be a bittersweet day. We honor our own mothers but at the same time our arms ache because there are no children of our own to hold. I have been luckier then most in this respect because I had a niece and goddaughter that I had helped to raise. I am also godmother to her three children.
One of the scariest things about being a mother is the knowledge that there are other lives that you can mess up if you don’t do it right. I was always aware that I was my niece’s role model. I am the first one she calls in case of problems. I am the one she calls to bounce ideas off of. I am the one she calls when she needs a break from kids and wants to talk to an adult.
Looking back today as a “Mom” I realize I tired to teach her many things. I tried to teach her my love of all things geek. Happily she is as geeky as I am. I exposed her to the wonderful world of science fiction conventions early in life. I made sure though that she started as I did working as a gopher. Just because I ran the convention it didn’t mean that I was going to put her in a position of authority until she learned the job. In the end I was able to put her with guests.
I tried to teach her that when life gives you lemons make lemonade. I tried to teach her that the glass isn’t half empty, it is half full and do something with it. I tried to teach her to use the talents she has to better herself and to make this a better world. She has taken the lesson and run with it. She has been one of the voices of homelessness in North Carolina. She has spoken to newspapers and crowds of people and to a politicians. To anyone who will listen she puts a human face on the suffering. She breaks down the stereotypes and shows what real poverty is. She is almost through with her Master’s degree in a field that will help her continue the fight.
I tried to teach her what true love is. I told her that you have to be able to love yourself in order to learn how to love others. I taught her that giving love to others in the most important thing you can do for yourself. Once you learn generosity towards others then you will start experiencing a peace within yourself that you only get from the knowledge that you are making this world a better place to be in. Yes you can make a difference, one person at a time.
My niece called early to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day. She has kept in touch to see how her grandmother is doing. She is every bit as much my daughter as she is my brother’s. I was the one who told her to let her heart love again after a disastrous first marriage. I was the one who happily spent the hours hand sewing trim onto a dress so that my daughter could be a “Princess Bride” on her wedding day.
So to all mothers everywhere Happy Mother’s Day. Even to those of us who never gave birth but who are spiritually mothers. The picture is my mother’s day gift to my Mom.
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