“Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while but their hearts forever.”
Unknown
Moms and daughters share a special relationship. Sometimes it is good – and sometimes, it isn’t.
Every Mother’s Day, my daughter Melissa gives me a beautiful card that I know she painstakingly picked out just for me. In a heartfelt and handwritten message, she tells me how much I mean to her. Her gift is always a beautiful flower basket that I place by my front door and each day as I water them throughout the summer, I think about how much she loves me and how lucky I am to have her in my life.
Melissa and I do not share just a mother/daughter relationship – we are also best friends. We talk on the phone every morning about the upcoming day and we visit quite often. She is also the mother of my four grandsons and we spend a lot of time talking about them, of course! When Melissa or the boys are sick, or if she just wants some advice, I am the first person she calls. She says just hearing my voice calms her down.
When my mother passed away a few years ago, I traveled to Annapolis, MD for her Celebration of Life memorial. Melissa, my son and one of my grandsons accompanied me on the long drive. During the trip, I had a lot of time to reflect and my heart was filled with regret. I had lived in another state most of my adult life and did not have the same close relationship with my mom that I share with my daughter. I visited her as often as I could and enjoyed the time we did share.
My mom taught me a lot – she taught me how to be a mom.
My mom taught me a lot – she taught me how to be a mom. She was a strong, independent woman who I admired greatly. She taught me to be strong and independent and that family always came first. Of course, we didn’t always agree on everything and I still remember the day that I said to myself, “Oh, no. I am just like my mom.”
Melissa and I don’t always agree on everything, either. Many times, the advice I offer falls upon deaf ears. But it doesn’t take too long for her to say to me, “I should have listened to you.” And there were many occasions when I would say that about my mom – “I should have listened. I would have saved myself a little heartache.”
In the end, I believe we all have some sort of regret about our relationships with our moms. But one thing holds true: there isn’t anything stronger than a mother’s love. She loves unconditionally. She will always be there to hold our hand, offer advice and love us during our good and bad days. And she will ALWAYS, ALWAYS live in our hearts.
Happy Mother’s Day!
