A Mother's Day Tribute

[Reviewed and updated May 1, 2022]

Your mother will never leave you.  She persists like an echo after the source has gone.  ~ Unknown

The following was written for Good Housekeeping Magazine by Temple Bailey in 1933.  In the days leading up to Mother's Day this year, I offer it here as a special tribute to my own mother, and to yours:

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."

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, 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.

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 could not have done it without you."

The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years. 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 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 the 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 is more than a memory. She is a living presence. 

The following poem was written by Deborah R. Culver to honor her mother, Joann L. Force, who died unexpectedly on Christmas Eve, 1985 after a long battle with breast cancer. It is printed here with Deborah's permission:

Your Mother Is Always With You 

© by Deborah R. Culver

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 , the fragrance of life itself 

She's the cool hand on your brow when you're not feeling well 

She's your breath in the air on a cold winters 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

She's the place you come from, your first home

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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Related Articles:

• Coping with Grief on Mother's Day: Selected Resources
• Parent Loss: Continuing Their Song
• Remembering My Mom on Mother's Day
• Your Mother Is Still With You
• When Mother's Day Hurts: Selected Resources

© by Marty Tousley, RN, MS, FT, BC-TMH