Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
There is nothing sweeter than a mother’s love. In fact, there is nothing more precious than the attachment that began in the womb and was then drawn into the light, still attached. And when the cord is severed, different connections materialize: Loyalty, devotion and affection, all resulting in what is known as a mother’s love.
A mother’s love is unconditional, although demanding at times, but always filled with compassion and understanding. Not unlike the love that God has for each of us: Establishing a path and hoping that we will find the courage to direct our lives toward that ultimate destination of fulfillment.
When we think of our mothers, we remember the good and bad times, all the memories of youth and adulthood. Each time we see a wave of soft gray hair, we seem to see our mother there. How we wish we could hold her hand one more time and tell her how much she meant to us and how we understand how tired she must have been feeling our pain.
The details of a mother’s anguish speak to the suffering we all experience as we journey through life, trying to find our purpose in life. Still, we all answer the Divine in us. Some more than others. Some with sacrifices beyond imagination.
If we only knew how to say thank you for giving us life. If only we could realize that one kind gesture, one kind act, to acknowledge the joy that was hers as we continue the journey she started for us. Sometimes we wait too long and miss opportunities of gratefulness. And if we find ourselves involved in memory, then we should step back and express that gratitude through the deeds we perform that would have given her joy.
Perhaps realizing this will enable us to kiss our mother’s face, hold her hand and be in tune with God. Together, mother and God can, and do, take our cares away. God couldn’t be everywhere, as the poet wrote, so He made mothers. And mothers couldn’t be everything to everyone, so God joined in partnership to create the ultimate feeling of security that comes from knowing that she will caress our cares so to ease our burden.
We must thank God for the beauty of life as we thank our mothers for bringing us the beauty of God. On the day set aside referred to as Mother’s Day, let us remember to think of the past as we endeavor to continue to build our future. What more could a mother ask?