I saw the image below this morning and snagged it; not sure who to credit but it is brilliant. It evokes some deep thoughts of love &
motherhood in me. The photo (above) is one my daughter took of me with my granddaughter. A mother's love knows no boundaries and this is sometimes a fine or awkward line. Most women either have or will travel through these phases.... "Momma, Mommy and Mom". I
personally have taken this journey 5 times and am now watching it unfold with
my daughter & daughter in laws. I've watched this process since I became a
mother for the first time; especially when watching strangers with older
children or even when observing my own mother & mother in law (even when well intended moments went astray). What I never
understood is how this evolution prepares our children so beautifully for their
first solo flights & leaves our hearts so full but yet empty all at the
same time. Our minds can travel from momma to mom much more gracefully than our
hearts. What we often fail to remember when dealing with other women especially
or own mothers or mother in laws (judgment etc); is that they will always be “momma”.
Our children are always our babies no matter the stage they are in. They grow
up, move on, and start their own families. They are always our family even
after they begin their own. The point of this post is to remind the grown
daughters & daughter in laws (myself included) to remember when dealing
with your mother's or mother in laws that you or your spouse were once and
always will be the tiny child who called them "momma". Men, this blog post was written with women and
mothers in mind but as much as you love your children and always want to do the
best for them your mothers intentions are usually the same. This isn't about boundaries but compassion for
where someone else's heart is. Often I see in mom groups such venom spewed
about our mothers (mother in laws especially) when often it was honestly love
for a child. That child might be an adult with their own family and ways of
doing things but to a mother you cannot just turn off concerns, love or
involvement. Not asking to debate that there needs to be separation. I have no
desire to be involved 24-7 with my grown children but asking grown children use
respect for where a mother of grown/older children might be viewing things
from. Years ago I learned that you never know what someone else might be going
through, to never say never and to not judge.
I would like to encourage/challenge each of us here to pray for the next 7 days
for your mothers and your spouse’s mother's. Pray that you learn compassion &
understanding for their journey that allow your ears & hearts to be open
to their words or actions and what might have created these. Pray that you learn to treat
them with love & respect even if you don't always agree about doing things
particular ways.
I did this year's ago and also still do when I get frustrated with either of our mothers. It changed my heart and creates more joyful relationships. 💗
Try to imagine the advice Mary might have given as a mother or mother in law to her daughter's given today's world.
I did this year's ago and also still do when I get frustrated with either of our mothers. It changed my heart and creates more joyful relationships. 💗
Try to imagine the advice Mary might have given as a mother or mother in law to her daughter's given today's world.
Micheline Edwards ©
2017, revised 2019
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