Words that Keep Speaking

 

Mom.

"For you to say I am a wonderful mother is the greatest thing you could ever say to me but I am only too conscious of the countless number of times I have failed and failed most abjectly in that role.
Remember this when you have small ones of your own - a hasty word, a casual indifference to something that is obviously important to them, impatience with their little problems - these things and others of their ilk, you can never put quite right.
The look of hurt or bewilderment on small faces can smite you to the heart and keep you awake nights.
Take Gran as your example.
Never too busy or too preoccupied for the small ones - even if its only to hug them and tell them you'll listen later when you can.
Never allow yourself to grow too far away from the magic that is childhood, so that you will not be at a loss to understand the way little minds work.
Their reasoning is seldom ours.
Remember too, as they grow, that offhand and self sufficient as they may appear to be, they are always children at heart - as in truth are we all - and there is not one but that will respond to love and understanding..
Make friends with your children, they are people in their own right and are only lent to us for a little while.
You do not, and never will possess them.
Create this friendship early and nothing that happens in later life will ever break it.
You will find it the most precious friendship on earth."

This prized letter written to me by my mother in 1964, shortly before my marriage.
It was carefully stored after being read a number of times.
Over time I forgot about it

It surfaced recently and as I reread the faded writing, I thought this is just too good to keep to myself.
So I'm putting it out into cyber space and hope that it speaks its tender wisdom to many other mom-hearts.