ONLY a mother would kiss a wounded knee. Mother’s Day is approaching; the annual celebration dedicated to highlight a mother’s unconditional love.
In Genesis 2:24 it reads, ”a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife.” We continue to be our parent’s children even after we leave home. Every day, God blesses parents; this week particularly, the mothers, as we honor them in thousand different ways.
It takes so little to please a mother. A simple kiss will do. A hug is most welcomed even if it comes only on weekends.
In our declining years, when we are in a reminiscent mood, these are the times when mothers are most sensitive and vulnerable. Children should understand the emotional roller coaster that happens, especially when one’s elderly is suffering from an illness, a chronic arthritic pain or a fleeting headache.
A child’s reciprocal love is put to the test when he becomes an adult and starts a family of his own. It is during these times when the period of adjustment becomes unbearable most especially to the parents whose perception of the child’s marriage is a departure from his ancestral home.
It is a universal perception that in-laws can never live under one roof. What should transcend that notion? We have to undergo and endure a period of adjustment. Loving the people your child loves will make the journey of motherhood easier.
When we hear of news reports regarding an abandoned mother, we not only feel bad, we ask, “what went wrong?” Economics is usually the underlying reason for abandonment. In my point of view, to abandon a mother in her state of being a burden, is cruel.
There was no limit to the nurturing. We gave it our all. We do not even let a single housefly or mosquito bother our sleeping infant. The sleepless nights when our children got sick is just one of the sacrifices endured by parents. We accepted their flaws. A mother’s unconditional love goes beyond caring and repairing.
I used to be a member of the Eucharistic Ministry in Los Angeles, California and my ministry involved residents of a Home for the Aged. One time, I could not help but notice an elderly lady who sat at the lobby of the facility on Sundays, in anticipation of a possible visit from any of her grown-up children. Each time when nobody came, she simply shrugged and said, “Perhaps next week they will come.”
Was it too much to ask from her children to visit their mother once a week?