A Legacy

I did not know! Some things you are explicitly taught at an early age like how to write your name and some things you learn inadvertently as you grow. Some things, you don’t know until one day, you realize just how MUCH you don’t know. The depth of my ignorance was mindboggling! I did not know until I became a Mom, how hard the position actually was. My Mother made it look so easy! She worked constantly, both outside of our home and in. I never saw the tears that she wept when alone nor those moments when indecision crossed her face as she grappled with which decision she should make for her children! I simply… did not know!

Now that I know, the knowing is etched into the fabric of my very being. I live and breathe it! It permeates every aspect of who I am because now I KNOW! I know that my mother was teaching me life lessons when her lips never uttered a word. I know that she was instructing me on the significance of sacrificing for others every time she did without, so that I could have. I know that she was teaching me compassion as she cared for me through every bloody scrape and sore throat. With the “I Mean Business” look, I learned to be kind to my siblings and childhood friends. I know that she was guiding me through years of self-discovery as I wrestled with low self-esteem and self-hate. Every time life threw me a curve ball, she taught me how to keep swinging, even when I repeatedly struck out!

Many life lessons are painful! Some bring physical agony while others ravage the heart, mind, will, and emotions of your innermost being. Sometimes it is hard to recover! For many, the ability to bounce back is more difficult than others. In my life I have witnessed both through the beauty of the sisterhood which surrounded me, thanks to Mom. My grandmother, in all her fierce yet vibrant glory, taught me to speak up for what I believe and not be afraid to admit when I do not have all the answers. She believes that the dumbest question was the one you were too afraid to ask! My aunts helped me realize that a life without laughter and joy is a dull one indeed! Each happy moment must be savored in preparation for the difficult times which always lie just ahead. Strength to endure adversity is born and finely tuned like the strings of a guitar, in all the life moments which came before. From my godmothers, I learned that Motherhood is not exclusive to blood. The strength of a mother is birthed through the heart and solidified in the soul! It is a love tie that cannot be erased and will always endure!

Now my turn has arrived! I too, am a mother! The many lessons which were engraved into the essence of who I am, unbeknownst to me, spring daily to the forefront of my heart. The words of the great sisterhood of Mothers from which I was birthed, hover over the open plains of my mind. I hear their words of wisdom echo in the air around me. The beauty of their faces appears before my eyes as I wrestle with the constant task of knowing what to do. The responsibility of caring for and ensuring the well-being of others is not to be taken lightly. It is an honor beyond all others!

Each Mother has her own journey! They may be similar, but none are exactly the same. The fundamental key to being a great Mother is realizing that on the inside of you is everything you need, to do what needs to be done! You are enough!