I was thinking today that we are the products of hundreds and generations of mothers who have nagged, begged, cajoled, scolded, inspired, encouraged, motivated, and strengthened their little girls in an endless line of mothering.
Over the ages, the old adages have mellowed, the melodies of the lullabies may have changed, the admonitions rephrased but the heart of “mothering” is always intact. Always there is that moment in the life of a new mother when she realizes that she has become “her mother”!
My daughter called to tell me she was instructing her son and all of a sudden she heard my voice popping out of her mouth. “It just came from nowhere and filled the moment!”
It had to start somewhere, the family stories, the laughter, the traditions, the values, the strength to survive passed on from one generation to the next and always with a mother’s unconditional love.
Where would we be without the wonderful mothers who bind the ills of the world with compassion; who tirelessly nurture mankind; who bring about social reforms with their awareness; who raise the level of spirituality and create unity in a continuous line of ever expanding families?
The voice of “mother” is programmed in the ears of female children. I hear your voice and think often of your refrain “that each new generation should be an improvement over the last.”
It is hard to improve on the loving qualities and gracious actions with which you have formed my being. With thanks and love for what I have received, I pass the standard to the outreaching hands and hearts of my daughters. I watch with joy and listen to the sound of you and the sound of me joining in the chorus. It is the marching anthem for generations of little girls in the ages to come.
Dearest love to my most cherished Mom.
