Around the nation, we will celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 14. It is a traditional day when families gather, share a good meal out, and spend time with the most significant person in our lives.
But, with all of that said, it is a time in my life when, perhaps due to my age and my mom’s age, I reflect on a much deeper meaning of this annual day.
The aging process is both a good and bad thing. Good from the respect that we retire, spend more time doing what we enjoy while benefiting from the years of experiences that give us greater perspective than our earlier years when we thought we knew everything about everything. In fact, personally, the older I get, the more I realize I don’t know much about anything…especially the way the world continues to change.
But on the bad side of aging comes health-related issues, loved ones around you begin to pass away, and, it just seems sometimes that you become even more irrelevant to others. That may be a dark take on life, but it can be true.
But as I go through the natural process of aging, one thing has become very clear to me: I have lived a blessed life. I am very fortunate to have enjoyed earning a living doing what I enjoy the most. And the reason for my life being the blessing that it has been… the biggest reason I have been fortunate to live a blessed life… was made possible by a blessed mother.
Throughout my life…through the ups and downs, my mother has always been there for me. At times when I felt all alone, she was there. Her love, support, and sacrifices for my happiness have blessed me and enabled me to live the life that I am so fortunate to have. In fact, my wife, Elaine, can say the very same thing about her mother. Elaine and I are so fortunate, and we are both so blessed to have had the good fortune of being children of mothers who raised us and made our lives possible.
Times are very difficult for my mother now; after a tornado struck their house last month, she is now battling illness and injury. She is a very strong person…the strongest that I have ever known. But with all of her mental strength, the times she finds herself in today would challenge anyone.
So, on this annual day of recognition for our mothers, I share this story with our readers to ask each of you to take a moment and reflect upon what our mothers have meant to all of us. My mother has always been there for me. And with all of her pain and suffering that she is currently experiencing today, I know that her first thought is me. That’s just how special she is. She always has put herself second to me…sacrificing things over the years that maybe she wanted for herself in order to make sure I had everything that I needed. In short, she is the best mother that I or anyone else could be blessed to have in their lives. I have been lucky in that respect all of my life.
So mom, this story is dedicated to you. I hope you have a nice Mother’s Day and know that I love you and respect you more than anyone knows. And I hope you, our readers, have a blessed Mother’s Day weekend with the one person who has blessed your life.
Happy Mother’s Day!
