A Tribute to Mother

Sorting through my Mother’s papers, I found this story titled - “ A Tribute to Mother”. Very deserving of a space in Barbara Grace’s Reflection. I transcribed in full, no changes. The original will be inserted into my Gratitude Journal. Write your Mothers' stories in a book journal from Barbara Grace LLL. Enjoy!

A Tribute to Mother

The young Mother set her foot on the path of life. “Is the way long?” she asked, and her guide said, “yes, and the way is hard, but the end will be better than the beginning.”

But the young Mother was happy and she would not believe anything could be better than these years. So, she played with the children and gathered flowers for them along the way, and the sun shone on them, and life was good, and the young Mother cried, “nothing will ever be lovelier than this.”

Then night came and storms, and the path was dark, and the children struck with fear and cold, and the Mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, “Mother, we are not afraid for you are near, and no harm can come to us.” And the Mother said, this is better than the brightness of the day, for I have taught my children courage.”

Then, 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 will be there.”

So, the children climbed and when they reached the top, they said, “We could not have done it without you Mother.” And the Mother, where she lay down that night, looked up at the stars and said, “This is better than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness.”

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war, and hate and evil. And the children groped and stumbled and the Mother said, “Look up, Life your eyes to the light.” And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness. And that night the mother said, “This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God.”

And they days went on, and the weeks, and the months, and the years, and the Mother grew old. And she was tired and weary, but the children were tall and strong, and walked with courage, and when the way was hard, they helped their Mother and when the way was rough, they lifted and carried her.

And at last they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide open, and the Mother said “I have reached the end of my journey, and now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and 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 stayed 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.”