"There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up, and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity." ~Washington Irving
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MOTHER'S DAY BOUTIQUE! Find the perfect gift for Mom in our 2TheHeart online boutique! Our boutique offers wares from our own members: books, jewelry, bath & beauty, angels, candles and more! Do your Mother's Day shopping here!
www.2theheart.com/boutique ABBEY PRESS FOR MOM... or just a thoughtful gift! Find thousands of inspiring gifts, from Angels, personalized T-Shirts, figurines, motivational "tuck-in" cards and pins, plaques and more to lift the spirits and show you care!
http://www.qksrv.net/click-404250-1099253 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many of us aren't blessed with memories of the ideal childhood. As we grow older, we aren't often given a chance to understand or reoncile the pain, but Laura's story allows a peek into understanding...and loving with a full heart.
MOTHER'S DAY
by Laura Young
Most Mother's Day stories are about the love that a mother shows for her children and the love they show for her. With that definition, every day should be Mother's Day. When I began writing this story I thought it might be a different kind of Mother's Day story. Then as I finished writing I realized that it might be about love after all.
My relationship with my mother throughout my life was one of almost having two different mothers in the same person. Most of the time you never knew which mother was going to appear, the loving one who would go to great lengths for you (she once took an entire day to make a trip just to buy a doll I wanted for Christmas) or the one who would "fly off the handle" at the least little thing and then become abusive; sometimes verbal, sometimes physical, and sometimes both. One of the things she always told me was that she prayed for me daily that I would be a "good girl". When I was small and she told me that, I didn't know what I had done wrong and was confused as to what I needed to do to be a "good girl". As I grew into my teenage years and began to rebel as teenagers sometimes do, I still wondered what I could do to please her and make her proud of me. Throughout her lifetime our relationship was very precarious. Even after I married and had a family of my own, she and I were not able to establish a close mother-daughter relationship.
The last few months that my mother was alive she lived in a personal care home near my husband and me. Toward the end of her life she had a stroke and was unable to speak for a time but her mind was clear and she found ways to communicate until some of her speech returned. On July 4 weekend our children came to visit. They went to see her on Saturday and had a great visit. The next day she began to lapse into a coma. On Monday night the nurse called me and said she thought my mother was dying and needed me to come. After we were there for a while, the nurse said that mother was doing better and we could probably go home. I told my husband that he could go but I wanted to stay so he agreed. I stayed in the room with mother and during the night I talked to her. I combed her hair (something I had been forced to do when I was young but now did willingly) and sang gently to her. I cried and told her that I really did love her in spite of the problems that we had. Sadly for both of us, I could say that for the first time in my life and really mean it. At other times it had just been the words without the full meaning. I felt a sense of peace and calm come over me and I felt that she knew that I meant what I said and accepted it. She died early the next morning.
Almost four years later, my husband and I were packing to move to our new home following our retirement when I found an old tape recorder that had belonged to my dad. It had been packed in a box of some of my mother's belongings. I was going to throw it away when I saw a cassette inside it. I was curious and started to play the cassette on my stereo. Imagine my surprise when I heard my mother's voice coming through the speakers. I had asked her at one time to make a tape recording about her life and family but she always said that she did not want to do it. As I listened to the tape and my mother's voice, I understood more about her than I had known while she was alive. I knew a little of her history but she told even more on the tape. She had had a difficult life when she was young. The biggest surprise was that she said her mother always told her that she prayed daily that my mother would be a "good girl". I understood then why she had said that to me years before.
As I continued to listen to the tape, tears began to flow. The tears were for the times we could have had together and the things we could have shared. They were for the hurts she had endured and for the searching for love and acceptance that she so desperately wanted. They were for the hurt and anger that I had had and the wasted years for both of us. They were cleansing tears and I again felt that sense of peace that I had felt with her the last night we were together. I could feel her presence and felt that she knew I loved her.
I think the tape was a gift of love that my mother left for me. She knew I would find it and play it. It was her way of saying, "I love you". When I listen to the tape, I feel her presence and feel that it is "Mother's Day" for the two of us.
Laura Young copyright 2003
lyoung1941@yahoo.com I have previously written "The Hill", "A Christmas Story" and "The Litter Lady" which have appeared on 2theheart. In writing this story I found that some painful memories must be faced in order that we can live our lives with the past behind us. After retirement a couple of years ago, my husband and I are enjoying renewing old friendships and visiting our children and grandchildren.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND THAT'S A WRAP! Graduation, wedding, birthday coming up? Personalized candy wrappers will make it an unforgettable event! Visit
www.andthatsawrap.com to 'wrap up' the perfect idea for a cherished day!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Letter Box:
Dear Joyce,
What a beautiful story you shared with 2theheart readers today. "Patiently Waiting" touched my heart. My own daughter waited patiently for Mr. Right to come along, too. Just prior to her 30th birthday, she went out with Steve. She'd known him in a work relationship for two years but never more than that. When she changed jobs and was no longer his accountant, he asked her out. One month later they were engaged, and their wedding took place seven months after that. She bought the first wedding dress she tried on. "It was there waiting for me," she told me. Dreams do come true as both you and my Karen learned while you were "patiently waiting".
Thank you for a lovely story,
Nancy Julien Kopp
2theheart,
I loved Joyce's story about her wedding dress purchase before she had the groom!! Congratulations on your long marriage, this story was a breath of fresh air.. Cathy Haddad cathyhaddad@comcast.net
Hi, Susan,
I was enthralled with Joyce Heiser's lovely story, "Patiently Waiting." I love her writing style, and even though I have been happily married for going on 34 years, it was just the kind of sweet story I "needed" today. Thanks so much for sharing! ~Rita Spillers
www.themusiclady.biz/music.htm www.ritascozycorner.com Joyce,
Great story today. Thanks for sharing.
Keep Hope Alive,
Mike Segal
