May you have a child just like you!
We jokingly call it the Mother’s Curse. If you are a mom and have experienced a challenging child, you may have said it yourself. I’ve gotten a few giggles out of seeing my nieces and nephews stump my siblings in ways that show whose children they are.
Even though we love our babies, kids challenge us in ways we could never have imagined. And our babies will always be our babies… whether turning three or thirty-three… they’re still ours.
It’s sad to see how turned around we get in this crazy world. Sometimes human frailties ruin the bond between mother and child. If you’ve ever worked, or known someone who worked, in specialty areas such as child protective services, the police department, or the Bureau of Investigation, you know just how messed up some of us have become.
But today I’d rather focus on the positive.
Back to that Mother’s Curse I mentioned. I’m certain at some point someone placed the curse on my head, though maybe not intentionally. But it seems to have had a wonderful effect.
Although it has taken half my lifetime to recognize it, I now see my mother in myself. Her green thumb didn’t pass down to me right away, but I’ve learned to keep plants alive. But it’s more than that… I’ve inherited the desire to see them flourish.
Also, I now understand her love for animals. She gifted me with the inability to pass by a suffering creature without my realizing it.
Yes, we can take on one more dog who’s homeless and injured.
Yes, I can bottle-feed a calf who has failed to thrive.
Yes, I will talk to my bees as I feed them and check their hive, telling them to scoot over so I don’t accidentally crush them when I put the box’s lid back on.
But you know who I hear when the sound comes out of my mouth? Mom. Her influence in my life is coming out now, and I absolutely love it. I wish I’d inherited her artistic ability, though. Bummer on that one.
So maybe I didn’t receive a mother’s curse but a mother’s blessing instead. My mom’s the best, and she brings out the best in me and my life. What a gift.
Love you, Mom!
