A Toast To Mothers!
“The love of a mother is the veil of a softer light
between the heart and the heavenly Father.”
–Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Mothers Rock!
There, I’ve said it. Why? Because-sadly-we live in a world where touting your love and support for vanilla ice cream will instantly invite angry protests from pro-chocolate and pro-strawberry factions. In today’s America, a genuine love for something suggests a hatred for the alternatives. We see it all around us. I have already had many people ask me, “So…you’re pro-DAD, huh? What about the moms?” OK—what about the moms?
My message is pro-father, but always in the context of tremendous love, honor, respect and the absolute belief in the priceless and invaluable contributions of mothers. I believe that mothers are the drink of life for their kids and that fathers are the straws that stir that drink and that kids sip that life through. In a perfect world, it would be wonderful if all children had that dual contribution from both their mother and father. Sadly, the world we live in is far from perfect.
Over the last several weeks, I have asked many of my fellow fathers to render their opinion on who they think is more important to a child’s healthy development, well-being, and long-term stability. Every single one of them answered honestly and with conviction. “Mothers are more important-period!”
WHOA! That’s going to shake up some men and fathers already under fire by a growing number of society’s voices who have deemed fatherhood a dusty relic of the past. “Experts” who proclaim that a man’s contribution to their children is little more than overdoses of masculinity and over-emphasis on competitive activities. A growing cultural momentum that routinely sides with moms during divorce due to the belief that this is the best option for the kids. A society that increasingly judges unique distinctions as troubling labels or proof of bias.
My opinion? Mothers are amazing! Anyone who has any lingering questions on who the stronger sex is has never witnessed a woman give birth! Mothers have an innate spiritual connection that allows them such a powerful emotional bond with their kids that teaches them such warmth and compassion. There is a peaceful gentleness that mothers bring to the lives of their children that is priceless and irreplaceable-and as perennial as time itself. Today’s culture seems so bent on the insistence of equality that it has lost the capacity to recognize and appreciate the beautiful and profound differences between a mother and a father and their respective contributions to healthy and happy kids. As a father, I let few opportunities pass to remind my kids of the priceless gift that God has blessed them with whom they know as “mom.”
I thank God for my mother’s unconditional love and contributions to my life. Through her example I came to understand the meaning of kindness and compassion. Through her gentleness and loving touch, I became more willing and able to share my own thoughts and emotions. Her spiritual curiosity drove me to a life of intellectual discovery and achievement. Her unyielding belief in my potential gave me self-confidence and the courage to pursue my dreams. Her warm embrace and encouraging words were always a welcome respite on those occasions when the world became cold and hostile. The sparkle in her eyes when she smiled reassured me that tomorrow would always bring with it a second chance. Her absence-any mother’s absence, leaves a gaping hole in our existence that is impossible to fill. All we can do is remember..and do our best to honor that memory by our own deeds and actions and the lives we live. My mother had a devout belief that the final metric of her life would be defined by how I lived mine…
“The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men — from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms.”
—Oliver Wendell Holmes
