For Her Children

Just Some Random Thoughts I Wanted To Get Out on what mothers will do… FOR HER CHILDREN

I went to an event the other day. It was a Domestic Violence Awareness event and women were sharing their stories and stories of women of the bible that went through some tough times.  Not sure why it sparked this blog but I remember leaving there thinking. I’ve seen many trials and tribulations in my life but I am grateful domestic violence is not one of them. Grateful for the caliber of love that I have attracted into my life. Grateful that even though my parents argued and fussed when I was a child. I don’t have any knowledge of domestic violence.

One survivor said she stayed  for her children… “I did it for my children” and this got me thinking about my mom. As a mother I get it but I can say that I was privileged to have never had to do anything for my children alone. Their father was an equal if not better more patience parent that I. But my mom….

I look back in wonder at how a woman who got married when she was 14 years old, never worked a day in her life before coming to the US, as a single parent with 5 children would come to a foreign country to struggle to provide a better life … FOR HER CHILDREN.

I remember our basement apartment, where my mom would come home from working  in a factory all day and her bed was a mattress on the floor, ours a little better being the pull out couch our upstairs neighbor was going to throw out. Why didn’t she take the “bed” and let us have the mattress? Selfishly, as a child I never even thought about it.

I marveled at the memory of how we made a home out of a tiny basement without any windows, hanging curtains against a wall in our living room (I think space with a temporary wall off the boiler room of the house). Did our laundry in the bathtub and hung it to dry in the boiler room and still was the home where all our friends love to come and hang out.  Mind you it wasn’t just the five of us, if you know anything about our culture, anyone you remotely knew in Guyana that was given the opportunity to come to the US and had nowhere to stay was considered family – blood related or not- and as a result we always had others living with us at varied times. From the mother-in-law of my aunt’s ex to cousins, uncles, aunts etc. How did she manage? I am in awe at the women who do it… FOR HER CHILDREN.

I am humbled and grateful that while I too may have made decisions based on being a mother, I can’t say I’ve ever had to really sacrifice anything significant as a result of having my children. I’ve never had to provide for or worry about my children well being single handedly and have been blessed with a hands on father, extended family members and friends. To the mothers like mine, that gave up so much of themselves FOR HER CHILDREN. I thank you for loving us.

Humbled and grateful.