My Mother
A total self commitment And now I'm older, wiser
Not fame nor fortune need I understand much more
She gave herself completely And look with admiration
In thought, in word, in deed. Her presence I adore.
She never stopped to wonder Mother gave me everything
On blessings she might earn A debt I can't repay
But tried instead to teach me So help me God to show her
And prayed that I might learn. My love in every way.
Rosemary Wynings
Mother’s day is a moment of a serene reflection of a filial loving relationship. Every mother speaks of the life of her child who is her treasure and her living hope. The inspiring poem of Rosemary Wynings, have moved me and kept me in touch with myself with the sweet memories of my loved mother. My reflections of the life of my mother have connected to my views to all the mothers especially those who are far from their children and from their mothers. I was not so close to my mother and so our mother-daughter relationship was not that visible as other children have. I knew that both of us have shared our love in many ways that only the two of us could understand. When I entered the convent, my mom was not in favour of my decision and gave me invalid reasons to divert my attention. The truth that I have discovered was that she would not want me to leave her and that she would miss my presence. That is the beauty of the revelation that I have received from the beautiful persons whom my mom shared them of her sentiments on me.
Now that I am miles away from my mom, I feel that I am nearer to her unlike before and could always picture her smiling at me. Of course I do miss her. Now I understand her feelings being a mother who continuously desires to see her children and to be them. My other four siblings are still in my place in Cagayan de Oro and they used to see her now and then. I told them that they are lucky enough to have mom with them on Mother’s day. It seems that my mom’s day is not complete since one of her dear children is missing and she kept telling my sister that she is praying for me. Though I communicate with her often and share some of my stories here in Rome. In the convent, we also celebrate the Mother’s day with our superiors as our mother figures in solidarity with all the mothers in the world.
I remember a priest who told my superior that “distance makes a difference”. In a positive view, I agree with this difference of a distance. Yes, the difference is that I and my mom became closer to each other. This distance has made us aware of our feelings and our desire of reconciliation and love. This distance made our filial bond stronger. We have gained the courage to express our sentiments to each other through letters and cards. My older sister, a mother of two beautiful children, used to chat with me via net and talk to me on the phone without missing the words about our dear mom. It is the goodness of a mom that is keeping us in touch with each other. The goodness of a mom cannot be exchanged with gold or money. I am proud of my mom and for me her goodness inside continues to flourish in her life with me and my siblings. I know that she is also proud of me.
This pride of mine to a precious mother is also addressed to all the mothers who are miles away from their children and from their mothers, too especially the migrants. I have encountered many old and young mothers here in Italy who shared with me their lives that are always intact with the lives of their children. I appreciated their stories which show their faith, courage, and willingness to sacrifice themselves for their children and their families. When mothers encounter on the streets, in the church, buses or trains, they always mention in their stories their children and their own mothers as well. Their eyes glow as they flawlessly talk about their families and their gentle smiles manifest their love to them no matter how much weight of problems that they are carrying. Sometimes I reflect on the mystery of the life of a mother who gives her total self for her family. My thoughts and reflections of my mother and the rest of the mothers continue to move my heart and give me tears, too. It is a special feeling that I could not plainly explain. All I could share is that God who is love gave us mothers to spread His intimate love and His feminine touch His dear children.
When God sent His only begotten Son, He chose a woman to be His Son’s precious mother. The Blessed Virgin Mary whom we call “Mama Mary” as our way of expressing our filial love to her became part of our lives as children. My mom is a Marian devotee and she’s the first person to teach us to pray to Mama Mary when we were still small. She taught us to be near to our Mama Mary. She used to include also her stories with her beloved mom who had left her thirty years ago. She had learned to love Mama Mary from her mom who was also a Marian devotee. Each moment that I think of Mama Mary, I remember my beautiful mom who never misses a day to talk to Mama Mary. I believe that most mothers who are far from their children and from their mothers are also keeping in touch with Mama Mary. I am proud of the migrant mothers who bear their faith to Mama Mary as the Mother of the Church. Mama, mommy, nanay, inay, or whatever name we call to our mothers, gives joy to our hearts and gives music to our ears as we continue to hear them in our thoughts, and memories. On this day, I wish all the mothers, especially the migrants, a wonderful grace-filled celebration with their loved that are near and far. I am one with the children and the mothers who walk with faith, love and hope and who never give up the life that we owe from our mothers. A Blessed Mother’s Day!
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