Friday, May 11, 2018

A Mother's Love

Thought for the day:  I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them.  [Phyllis Diller]

Giving birth is easy. It's like pulling a watermelon out of your nose.
This coming Sunday is Mother's Day, so what better time to write about mothers, right?

A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never cared for pie.  [Tenneva Jordan]


Having a child changes a woman forever, and I'm not just talking about the decorative stretch marks, bulging hemorrhoids, or the tendency to tinkle a little every time she laughs too hard. No, it goes much deeper than the physical changes. After expelling miniature human beings from their bodies, women who could once sleep through a sonic boom suddenly wake up on full alert every time their babies roll over or make the tiniest sound, and women who used to be walking fashion plates suddenly have no problem wearing wrinkled clothing stained with spit-up. And holy moley, their capacity to love expands even more than their waistlines did. (Good thing, too... if it didn't, no woman would ever have more than one child!)

And, oh, how we turn to jelly at the sight of those tiny baby clothes and... those feet! Nothing is quite as sweet  and kissable as those tiny little baby feet.

There is an instinct in a woman to love most her own child— and an instinct to make any child who needs love, her own. [Robert Brault]

Then, practically overnight, babies become teenagers, and before we know it, the little boy who was afraid of the dark now wants to stay out half the night with his friends. The princess who didn't take her first step until she was almost a year old now wants to borrow the car. No matter their age, they will always be the children of their mother's heart, but more and more, they also become children of the world.



The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant — and let the air out of the tires.  [Dorothy Parker]

The truth is, no matter how big our babies' feet get to be, they still belong to our babies. Doesn't matter if those feet belong to a teacher, a doctor, or are ensconced in a pair of combat boots. Babies, one and all. Even when they have babies of their own.

Grown don't mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What's that supposed to mean? In my heart, it don't mean a thing. [Toni Morrison- Beloved]




Of all the things I've ever read about mothers, I think Erma Bombeck said it the absolute best in her essay, When God Created Mothers, in which God is attempting to meet some very daunting specifications to create the perfect mom. After struggling to get her right, an angel points out that the model has a leak. God replies that it's a tear, and when the angel wants to know what it's for, God says:

"It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride."

"You are a genius, " said the angel.

Somberly, God said, "I didn't put it there.”

****

Now here's another of Erma's wonderful insights about motherhood:






Just as our mothers always look at us as their children, as we grow older, a certain part of us wants to hang onto them, too. We don't want things to change. We want them to always be there, our home plate in the game of life, our constant refuge. We don't want them to grow old; we don't want them to get sick, and God knows, we don't want them to die. But even after they do, they live on forever in our hearts.

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.  [Honore de Balzac]

Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall; a mother's secret love outlives them all. [Oliver Wendell Holmes]

To all of you mothers, I wish you a wonderful Mother's Day. To all of you whose mothers are still with you, cherish them, not just on Mother's Day, but every day of the year. To those of you experiencing that heart-wrenching role reversal—  taking care of your mothers, essentially mothering your mothers, as they once took care of you, with them depending on you as you once depended on them— bless you. I know how hard it is. For those of you who have already lost your mothers, I know you'll be thinking of them. And as long as our mothers live in our hearts, they're never entirely gone.




Whatever else is unsure in this stinking dunghill of a world, a mother's love is not. [James Joyce]


                             Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.



During the month of May, every comment you leave here will earn you a shot at winning a FREE autographed copy of Explosive Beginnings.  Pssst! Wanta up your chances? All ya have to do is mention my book on your blog, and it'll earn you another two chances. 

(If you're on Goodreads, I'd sure appreciate it if you tagged my book as one you'd like to read.)

[Images from morguefile.]










46 comments:

  1. Beautiful post. Here's wishing you a happy Mothers' Day. Hugs, Valerie

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    1. Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Even though it may not be Mother's Day in your part of the world, I'll wish you a happy one, anyway. Hugs back atcha.

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  2. Drat you. My eyes are sweating.
    I hope your Mother's Day is marvellous and that your latest book goes gang-busters.

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  3. Happy Mother's day!! You're right on all counts. I hate to see my babies grow out of childhood, although I'm fascinated to admire the men they are becoming. And I do miss my mom, even though I did spend a few years "raising" her. I always told her that she hit old age and became a teen again. Partied all night at the casino, chased men on the internet...crazy woman...I miss her bunches.

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    1. Happy Mother's Day to you, too!

      Yeah, sometimes I miss our child-raising years... then I snap out of it and appreciate where we are now even more. (Wait until you have grandchildren!)

      I miss my mom, too. I reckon we always will.

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  4. What a beautiful post, Susan, and a very thoughtful tribute to Mother's Day. Only someone who has experienced motherhood can express and convey these thoughts with such insight.

    I especially liked the video "Time Has Gone" - - very touching. Have a great Mother's Day!

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    1. Thanks, Jon. I know what a soft spot you have for mothers, especially your own. She must have been an amazing woman.

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  5. I love this post like I love my children. Happy Mother's day to you :)

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    1. Thanks. That's a LOT of love. :) Happy Mother's Day to you, too. (Whether it's Mother's Day in your part of the world or not.) Have a super weekend.

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  6. The video of Bohemian Momsody was great - scary how none of the singers ever blink! This was a beautifully written post Susan. In the UK Mothers Day was in March, but hey, who's counting?
    CLICK HERE for Bazza’s heuristic Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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    1. I like that video, too. It cracked me up.

      Hey! Mums can have more than one "day" in a year... :)

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  7. That was a wonderful dedication to mothers. Despite the years, my mother is still mom to me.

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    1. Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.

      And she always will be. :)

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  8. enjoy your Mother's Day weekend. Excellent post and quotes. Can't go wrong with Phyllis Diller and Erma Bombeck - she was the best!
    My mom's gone, but for her - Mother's Day bliss was sleeping in, and then having my dad take us kids out..somewhere, anywhere...and she could just sit and read in peace and quiet!
    Cheers, my friend.

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    1. Thank. Yeah, I loved Bombeck. She knew how to make us laugh and cry, and often within the same paragraph.

      I kinda think your mom's bliss is every young mom's bliss. Peace and quiet is a rare commodity when you have a houseful of kids.

      Cheers back atcha!

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  9. I loved this post, Susan. Erma Bombeck was such a wonderful writer and you are following in her footsteps. I will go over to Goodreads, but I don’t know how to tag someone. I will look it up on Google

    I am thankful everyday that I am a woman, mom and grandmom. It has been hard, tiring, heartbreaking, wonderful, fulfilling, and my greatest joy in life. They robbed me of sleep, drove me crazy, cost me a fortune and once they moved out, things became quieter and then the grandchildren came. Nothing could be more wonderful than that.

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    1. Thanks. I'm glad you liked it, and it's an honor to even be included in the same paragraph as Erma. She was one of a kind.

      It's easy. Just do a search on the book title, and then click, "Want to Read." (Thanks!)

      Agreed. With all of its ups and downs, life had been pretty darned fantastic so far. Happy Mother's Day!

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  10. A very happy Mothers Day to you too ! No matter what our babies are always our babies !

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    1. Thanks. And the same to you! Yes, our babies may be gray-haired, but they're still our babies.

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  11. Well you had me on an emotional roller coaster from dripping tears to boogying with the dancers. Thanks for that.

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    1. Emotional roller coasters beat the real thing. (No puking!)

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  12. I was right there, third car on that emotional roller coaster! Dang girl, you're an Olympic wordsmith!

    Loved Blast Rites! ... I'm bubbling to say more, but won't for those who've not yet read it. Happy Mother's Day, Susan!

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    1. Thank you, dear lady. That's very sweet of you to say.

      I'm soooo glad you liked it. Thank you for taking the time to write a review. :)

      Happy Mother's Day to you, too!

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  13. Hi Susan - fantastic post ... takes me back to so many memories of my Ma - not being a mother I can relate to many of the motherly things you mention - mothers just get on with things. Love Erma's thought on God and his angel ... thanks so much for this brilliant post - cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi-ya, Hilary. Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. You may not be a biological mother, but you certainly proved what a nurturing person you are by the way you took care of your mom.

      Cheers back atcha!

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  14. That video "A Mother's Love" was absolutely amazing!!

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    1. Let me guess... the baby duck was your favorite? :)

      Happy Mother's Day!

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  15. Wonderful post indeed. Mothers sure find a way and love the kiddos no matter what comes due, the good mothers anyway.

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    1. Thanks. I'm glad ya liked it.

      True. Not all mothers are motherly. :)

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  16. A touching post, Susan. Happy Mothers Day!

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  17. What a post !
    The part I loved was the tiny feet oh my goodness the tiny feet I miss the tiny feet.
    Happy Mums Day nice Mum type person.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Thanks!

      Yes, those tiny feet. There's something about those tiny feet and those sweet little butts... not to mention those irresistible belly laughs. I reckon we moms are suckers for all of it.

      Happy Mother's Day to you, too, and cheers back atcha.

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  18. What a beautiful post. Happy Mother's Day! I received a note from my son today with a Mom's Day message that was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes. I wish I'd come up with Bohemian Momsody.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. And congratulations on finishing the book!

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    2. Thanks. And a very Happy Mother's Day to you, too!

      I wish I'd come up with the Bohemian parody, too. Really clever.

      Thank you, ma'am. :)

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    3. Your new book will get a mention on my blog tomorrow (Monday).

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  19. Happy Mother's Day, Susan. (We have ours in March over here.)

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    1. Thanks, Keith! (I reckon you guys are more progressive than we are.) :)

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  20. Dear Susan, Happy Mothers' Day. I sure enjoyed this post.

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  21. This is a sweet and lovely post, Susan. Good luck with your new book. I'm looking forward to reading it. I hope you had a happy Mother's Day!

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    1. Thanks, Connie. I had a lovely Mother's Day... hope you did, too!

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