Mother's Day

Ouma-Grootjies, my beloved Granny in South Africa.

My mother, Granny K, who now lives 2 streets away now.

The kids and I on a Sunday School picnic just over a year ago.

This Mother's Day more than ever and with trembling, was I struck with the awesome, heaven sent privilege it is to have precious children and to be able to nurture them, love them and be close to them. To have a mother too who is a wonderful Granny to my children is an awesome privilege. (How I wish Doug's mother was close to us too, to be more involved with the children. I will always miss her and my grandmother, Ouma-grootjies, as the oceans part us....these are everyday family gifts that have been stolen from us, by 'Immigration'.)

Each Mother's Day before I think I have taken the privilege of mothering for granted!

Not so this year and I pray never again ....

I was thoughtful of mother's who were ill themselves and who could not show their love to their children as they wanted to. For those who fear they will not be there next Mother's Day to enjoy and bless their children.

My thoughts turned to mother's whose children were in hospital, or separated for reasons beyond any mother's control...how their hearts ache to reach those children, to make their child's pain go away!

I was mindful of mother's who mother children with special needs; these mother's whose hearts ache with love way beyond the 'normal' love for children as they serve those special children without the usual rewards, blessings, comforts and praises.

I have thought too of the mother's who feel as if they have failed as mothers, who wish they had done it all better and differently but who now face, "too late" .

And I have pondered on the feelings faced of those mother's who have faced the death or near death of a child.

"Oh, my God, may we never take for granted the the privilege of parenting! May we enjoy every precious moment we have with our dear children! May we love as we have never loved before, these precious gifts!"

Thank God for these beautiful souls brought into our lives to love and adore with all our hearts through all of their lives.