I got this email forward today that brought tears to my eyes and down my cheeks:
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 other, 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's 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!
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 other, 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's 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!
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