Mothers Day is this Sunday and I can’t help but think about, not only my wonderful Mother, but all the fabulous Mothers around the world. You may be saying…..I am not a mother as I have never had a child.
How wrong you are my dear. All women throughout the world are Mothers in some way or another. Women are Mothers without having to give birth as we are the givers of life. We care, we share, we help, we plant flowers just for the beauty of seeing the color. Women are strong, vibrant, determined, courageous and most of all……we willingly share our love.
Mothers quietly do many wonderful little things just to make our lives easier. Yes, Mothers are often taken for granted but when a need appears guess who comes without question…….yes, our Mothers.
My Mother passed away from leukemia many years ago. In her passing she gave birth to me twice. The first was the actual physical birth and the second was as she died she showed me the grace and love that life should always have. She gave me the determination to live my life to the fullest. She was strong, intelligent, resourceful, giving, yet stood up to those who didn’t want to give women equal pay for equal work…… she was my hero.
I lived in England when I received the call that it was time to come. I arrived late that night and was picked up at the airport in Knoxville Tennessee by my brother, Crowell. We went straight to the hospital.
Mother look so small and pale in the hospital bed but when she saw me her smile melted my heart. I lived in the hospital room with Mother for a month. It was then it suddenly dawned on me I really didn’t know a lot about her life. Yes, I knew the normal things but what about her favorite color, her favorite flower or what was her biggest dream?
One day I asked Mother was there anything she regretted not doing? Expecting a bit of thought on this subject I was shocked when she immediately said “Yes”. Had I opened up a can of worms that I really didn’t want to know about?
Her answer was simple ” I regret I never bought a pair of red shoes”. I sat there in silence trying to absorb the statement……red shoes? That was her biggest regret? She then explained “I always wanted red shoes but they were not practical so I never could bring my self to purchase them”
Mother died soon after that discussion and after her funeral I flew back to London to my precious family. One afternoon my son John, while playing soccer with his sister Mary, kicked the soccer ball through the window which hit and destroyed my favorite Lladro. Others were upset but I said it didn’t matter…..it was an object…..it wasn’t important. My world had changed as to the importance of “things” over “life”.
One day I took a trip to London to see the museums and it was then I saw a pair of red shoes in the window of Harrods department store. They had my size, they fit perfectly and I purchased them……I didn’t even ask the price. I left the store, looked at the sky and said “This is for you Mom!’
Each year I purchase a pair of red shoes and each year the smile gets bigger.
Wishing Mothers all over the world a blessed day.
love and hugs
gwen