A Mother’s Love Surpasses All Else
DEP prompt 40 of 52: LOVE
Love is an emotion of strong affection. That feeling you get when you hold a newborn in your arms. Tenderness, fondness, and warmth flood your entire body. Any new mother knows what I mean. You realize there is nothing you wouldn’t do for that infant. And you pray you are worthy of the responsibility of motherhood.
“Before you came into my life, I never knew what true love felt like.” — Unknown
The full impact of being a mother can be frightening. I personally believe it to be the greatest job you can have on earth. Your words and actions can have a lasting effect on your child — for better or worse. It was the one job I didn’t want to fail at. So imperfect person that I am, I vowed to love my children as a fierce mama bear.
It was easy when they were younger. Their impressionable minds listened to everything I said and did what I asked of them. Then they went to school. And discovered that the world isn’t always a nice place. They saw different ways of behaving and speaking. Sometimes they tested the waters by acting out at home. I stood firm. They knew what that look meant.
I am your mother
I will always love you
Middle School brought a new set of problems. They were confronted with bullying for the first time. I enrolled my slender sons in Tae Kwon Do classes. To give them confidence. The ability to defend themselves if needed. I would not always be around to fight their battles. I took self-defense classes with my daughter. They needed to be prepared for all contingencies. Life isn’t always fair.
I am your mother
I will always love you
I became a Scout leader to provide wholesome activities. To teach everything I knew about the natural world. To indulge in physical activities that develop strong bodies. To imbue them with a curiosity and a sense of adventure. They lived in a city. I felt they needed wilderness and survival skills too. Soon I had girls clamoring to join my troop. They craved camping and outdoor experiences which didn’t exist elsewhere.
I am your mother
I will always love you
The teen years ushered in a new set of challenges. They wouldn’t always make good choices. I knew they might get hurt if they ran in certain directions. They wanted the freedom to direct their own lives. I had to have faith that what I taught would see them through. It was so hard to let them go. I silently grieved during those roller coaster years. Who likes to see their offspring fall? But there were also joyous moments when they met with success.
I am your mother
I will always love you
“You don’t love someone because they’re perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they’re not.” — Jodi Picoult
Time passes and it warms my heart when they give loving hugs. When they say, “Thank you for standing by me. “ When we gather around the table and laugh ourselves sick over humorous memories. Especially the stories at my expense.
“True love doesn’t happen right away; it’s an ever-growing process. It develops after you’ve gone through many ups and downs, when you’ve suffered together, cried together, laughed together.” — Ricardo Montalban
When I crawl into bed at night I thank God for the gift of motherhood. I must admit, there were times I felt they held me back from some of my own goals. I look at my grandchildren and great-grandchildren now. And realize I wouldn’t have missed this for anything. It is more precious than gold.
“The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” — Victor Hugo
This is my response to the DEP prompt 40 of 52 offered by Dr. Gabriella Korosi.
Thank you to the DEP editors Dr. Gabriella Korosi, Dr. Preeti Singh, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, and Annelise Lords for hosting this uplifting publication.
Dr. Fatima Imam shares a delightful story about advice to nurture love from her cat.
Dr. Preeti Singh gives a heartfelt loving testimony to a special friend who died too soon.
