Mother’s Day

It is 12:30 am here in Kochi, so that means that it is officially mothers day.  I want to say happy mothers day to all of the beautiful mothers that I know!  Because my own mother passed away when I was eight years old, in the past this has been a difficult day for me.  But since the birth of my daughter, I can celebrate mothers day again.  I have so much to be grateful for, and the arrival of Saya in my life has been the greatest gift I could have ever received.  I still miss my mom so much, and I think of her often.  What I remember the most about my mother was just how good it felt to be near her.  At night she would lay across the foot of my bed and wait for me to fall asleep.  I would always make sure that I had at least one of my feet touching her so that I could make sure she wouldn’t go anywhere.  I hope that I can provide the same love, security, and comfort to my own child.  So, I am taking this mothers day as a chance to renew my commitment to being the best mother that I can be to Saya.  I think that as mothers there are many things that guide us and inspire us through the daily routines of caring for our children, and for me there is always this passage from The Prophet by Khalil Gibran somewhere in my mind…

On Children

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, “Speak to us of children.”

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

I want to strive to be like this person–loving, joyful, curious, open, honest.  She is my heart and my love.

Happy mother’s day!