A Mother's Journey

[Julia Kimber]

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?"
she asked. And the guide said, "Yes, and the way is hard. And you
will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be
better than the beginning.

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that
anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children,
she fed them, and bathed them, and taught them to tie their shoelaces and
ride a bike and do their homework and brush their teeth.

The sun shone on them, and the young mother cried, "Nothing will ever
be lovelier than this." Then the nights came, and the storms, and the
path was sometimes dark, and the children shook with fear and cold,
and the mother drew them close and covered them with her arms, and the
children said, "Mother, we are not afraid for you are near, and no
harm can come."

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children
climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary too. But at all
times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the
children climbed, and as they climbed, they learned to weather the
storms. And with this, she gave them strength to face the world.

Year after year, she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but
most of all...unconditional love. And when they reached the top they
said, "Mother, we could not have done it without you."

The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the
mother grew old and she became little and bent. But her children were
tall and strong, and walked with courage. And the mother, when she
lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day
than the last, for my children have learned so much and are now
passing these traits on to their children."

And when the way became rough for her, they lifted her and gave her
their strength, just as she had given them hers. One day they came to
a hill, and beyond the hill, they could see a shining road and golden
gates flung open. And the mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey.

And now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for my
children can walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high,
and so can their children after them." And the children said, "You
will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."

And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates
closed after her. And they said, "We cannot see her, but she is with
us still. A mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."

Your Mother is always with you. She is the whisper of the leaves as
you walk down the street. She is the smell of certain foods that you
remember, flowers you pick and perfume that she wore. She is the cool
hand on your brow when you're not feeling well. She is your breath in
the air on a cold winter's day.

She is the sound of the rain. Your Mother lives in side your
laughter, and she is crystallized in every tear drop. A Mother shows every
emotion, happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate & anger,
helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow and all the while, hoping and
praying you will only know the good feelings in life.

She is the place you came from, your first home, and she is the map
that you follow with every step you take. She is your first love, your first
friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, not space, not even death.

[Michelle]

Sniff sniff

[mizniteowl]

That's sweet.