Moms

Uncle Ken sent me this e mail today, and I thought it should be shared.

For those who are lucky enough to still be blessed
with your Mom, this is beautiful. For those who
aren't, it is even more beautiful.

The young mother set her foot on the path of life.
"Is this the long way?" she asked. And the guide said,
"Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old
before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better
than the beginning."

But the young mother was happy and she would
not believe that anything could be better than
these years. So she played with her children, she fed
them and bathed them and taught them how to tie their
shoes and ride a bike and reminded them to feed the dog
and do their homework and brush their teeth. The sun
shone on them and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will
ever be lovelier than this."

Then the nights came, and the storms, and the path
was sometimes dark, and the children shook with fear and cold,
and the mother drew them close and covered them with her arms, and the
children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and
no harm can come."

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead,
and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother
was weary. But at all times she said to the children,

"A little patience and we are there."

So the children climbed, and as they climbed, they
learned to weather the storms. And with this, she gave
them strength to face the world. Year after year,
she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but
most of all, unconditional love. And when they reached
the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it
without you."

The days went on, and the weeks and the months and
the years, and the mother grew old, and she became little and bent.
But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And
the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and
said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have
learned so much and are now passing these traits on to
their children."

And when the way became rough for her, they lifted
her, and gave her their strength, just as she had
given them hers. One day they came to a hill, and
beyond the hill they could see a shining road and
golden gates flung wide. And mother said, "I have
reached the end of my journey. And now I know the
end is better than the beginning, for my children can
walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high,
and so can their children after them."

And the children said, "You will always walk with
us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they
stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after
her. And they said,
"We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A mother
like ours is more than a memory. She is a living
presence."

Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper
of the leaves as you walk down the street. She's the
smell of certain foods you remember...flowers you
pick and perfume that she wore. She's the cool hand on
your brow when you're not feeling well...she's your
breath in the air on a cold winter's day. She is the sound
of the rain that lulls you to sleep...the colors of a
rainbow. She is Christmas morning.

Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she is
crystallized in every tear drop. A mother shows
every emotion..happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love,
hate, anger,helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow..and all the
while hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in
life. She's the place you came from, your first home, and she's the map
you follow with every step you take. She's your first
love, your first friend, even your first enemy...
but, nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not
space, not even death!

I've got tissues if anyone needs them. Colene