The Gift Your Mother Really Wants, and, A Mother's Lulla-by

   

                                        A Mother's Lulla-by.  an original acrylic painting, on canvas

                                          16 X 20, unframed

                                                                   ( click on image to enlarge )

     Before we had the modern, commercialized version of Mother's Day, there were 

formalized celebrations of the mother figure, which stretch back for thousands of years.  

One example, from Roman times, was the celebrations of Cybele.  The early Christian 

Church, probably appropriated her and changed her to Mary, as a way to help gain 

converts, just as they had done, in setting the date of Jesus' birth to coincide with the 

winter solstice, as a way to help convert people away from their pagan, winter-sun 

ceremonies.

     Today's celebrations of mother are not formalized or ritualized, but this day does offer

an opportunity for a meaningful confirmation of the greatest bond of unconditional love 

which any of us ever experience.  For those of you who are fortunate enough to have 

a wonderful mother, who devoted her life, her energy, and all of her resources, to 

nurturing and educating her children, this is a good opportunity to truly show your 

genuine gratitude for the life she gave to you.  

      Your mother doesn't really want an obligatory, phone call, or a greeting card, 

or flowers, or candy, or a trinket of jewelry, although she will, no doubt, thank you 

warmly, for any expression of your love which you offer to her.  What your mother 

wants is time with you; time to see you, to hug you and feel your touch, time to hear 

more about everything that is going on in your life.  Give her the time to be proud 

and thankful for the mutual achievement that is your life  The true gift for her is 

the gift of yourself, and especially so if she is alone now.

     So tomorrow, or on any day when you are long, long overdue for a visit with the

mother who brought you into this world, give her what she really wants.

     But if you have made other plans for the day, don't decide to visit her, merely to

make it a pit-stop, for a quick hello to mom, and then say that you're sorry you can't 

stay, because you're so terribly busy right now.  If you do that, you can be sure that, 

as soon as you leave, and the door slowly closes behind you, on those silent rooms, 

there will be some lonely tears when you are gone.

                                                                     Eugene P. McNerney

      P. S. - That photo of the painting looks a bit out of focus.  I had intended to get 

a different shot of it, but I used this one here, because it fits in with this post.  I'll try

 to get a new photo of it soon.