What a wonderful day to celebrate the life of the person who gave us life and/or nurtured us. That is the beauty of Mother’s Day. We all have a mother whether she is the same person who reared us are not. A woman brought you into this world with the grace of God. Some then have a mother who welcomed them into their lives, into a family they were not born, or maybe one generation removed from that person. And some may even have a stepmother who has loved them as well.
All mothers have helped us become who we are today; their care is woven into the fabric of our lives, good or bad. We truly will probably never know all that our mothers did for us as children. It is not until many of us become parents ourselves that we can understand for the first time all the care mothers give. Usually, it is not until we have children that we can comprehend all the love we can give a child. God’s love in us expands to love others. We hold these little babies in our arms and are changed forever. God’s grace guides us as does our community to love, nurture, and raise our children into adulthood.
While I truly feel blessed to have children, I did not think I would ever become a mother, at least of children I conceived. Like many people, I faced the hardship of knowing I had a 2 percent chance of having children from the time I was a teenager. As a woman, part of my identity was lost as I learned this news. My hopes and dreams of becoming a mother were dashed. I felt unworthy of another’s love for if I could not conceive a child, how could a person love me when I would remain barren?
We all have a calling, a mission, a vocation. I believed mine was to serve others, work hard and be a loving aunt to all my nieces and nephews. I have had two aunts that never married, never had children, but helped parent me. They have been an instrumental part of my life and I value them so much. I bring this up for I know Mother’s Day is a painful day, a reminder to some that God may have a different plan for them as many struggle to conceive and some may not want to adopt.
In my mid 30’s I met someone who was willing to adopt if we could not have our own children. We decided before we were married to be on the God plan during our marriage. If we were unable to conceive ourselves, we would start the adoption process after five years of trying. As many of you know I came home from the honeymoon not feeling well. I went to the doctors with an infection and told him to only give me something that I could take if I was pregnant. He looked at me as if I was crazy, but agreed to also give me a pregnancy test. When the test came back positive with low levels he told me it would not be sustainable. God had other plans. Yes, the God plan for me was honeymoon twins.
Once I knew I was pregnant, the world changed for me. I was going to be a mother. God knows more than the doctors, and he has a plan for each of us. My children are now in their 20’s, and I realize being a mother never ends. With one in Poland with the NATO forces, my heart reaches across the world. Motherhood is a gift, it is an honor and we honor all mothers today for the love and care you give from pregnancy, through childhood, to adulthood and sadly for many mothers, through the death of a child.
The love mothers give is priceless. If you are reading this today, most likely your mother shared their love of God with you as well. Learning we have two mothers, our own mother on earth and Mary in heaven, is truly a gift of our faith. Now both my mothers are in heaven, but I know they are both with me, always.
— Reflection By Catherine Campbell