As Mother’s Day nears, my mind goes back throughout the years, when my mother had to become a “dual parent” upon the accidental death of my daddy.
She had to learn how to deal with her loss. She no longer had her special someone to lean on for the encouragement, the strength, the financial support nor the comfort that she once had.
How can a broken heart pick up the pieces of one moment in time that changes a mother’s responsibility so dramatically?
Losing a spouse changes a person’s life and their thought process. For a daddy’s girl, losing the best daddy in the world causes an everlasting eternal emptiness. When those two emotions collide, moving forward is not always easy.
We both struggled with our own loss, and we struggled together with a shared loss. We never got it perfect, but we never gave up trying.
My mother had always enjoyed being a mother, but she had never imagined the task of being responsible for a dual parenting role. It was so tough on her, but I had a tough mother. She struggled a lot. She cried and laughed a lot. And she prayed a lot. During all this, her abundance of love never failed.
My mother was a warrior! She fought for everything she believed in. She would fight man, foe or beast to protect her children. She had the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever known, but it would change to steel if need be. Her small 5’3” frame could become a mighty giant. She could definitely become a force to reckoned with.
With all this toughness, she carried a beauty from without to within. She could work like a man and then morph into the most beautiful princess in the world. She had character, grace, poise and one of the sweetest smiles, personalities and hearts of any mother I’ve known. She had a hard life, but it never hardened her. She was a special, special lady. She was loved by many, but I was the lucky girl who called her my mother and friend.
I was fortunate enough to have a mother who didn’t shield me from the “real world.” As a matter of fact, she prepared me for the worst. She told me life wasn’t always easy, and for that I’m thankful most of all. Anyone can exist in a peaceful world without life’s lessons, but it takes constant training in preparing for the unexpected circumstances.
My mother never had the opportunity to finish the fourth grade. She was one of the oldest of six siblings, so she had to work and take care of the youngest. She told me often how she would have loved to have gone more years to school, but that wasn’t a choice she had. But with the knowledge and wisdom of life’s lessons, my mother was equivalent to a graduating student. I was so proud of her. She wasn’t limited to book sense. She was the wisest person I’ve ever known.
As Mother’s Day approaches, I want to think God for my mother! She was a blessing to me! We held hands a lot during our years together, and God continued to bless me when He allowed me to hold her hand as she took her final breath.
So, if you still have a mother, would you go hold her hand and tell her what she means to you?
My mother knew!
