By David Ficarri
-Diversions with Dave-
Poets and writers tried to explain her. Artists and musicians tried to define her. Fathers and kids tried to emulate her. The world tried to break her. The reality is that nothing even compares to her. She is a mother.
She carried you, birthed you, fed you and raised you. She loved you, taught you, disciplined you and molded you. She was your chef, your chauffeur, your doctor and your nurse. She gave you her ear to vent, her shoulder to cry on, her hug to comfort you and her heart to carry with you.
She picked you up when you fell. She was your biggest fan when you did well. She was there for all your firsts. She supported you through all your bests and worsts.
She protected you from the hardness of this world but still encouraged you to spread your wings. She drove you to your ballgames and recitals and comforted you through breakups and disappointments. She made you comfort food when you were sick, even when she was sicker than you. She bought you a new glove or instrument with the money she made working overtime. She made your birthday a celebration and filled your baskets and stockings at Easter and Christmas. She never asked for anything in return and she wouldn’t trade it for the world.
One day a year to celebrate her seems like the most inadequate celebration ever. For those of you whose mother is still around, I hope you understand how special your mother really is.
For those whose mother has passed, I know you realize the emptiness of not being able to properly celebrate her. For those of you who are mothers, there really aren’t enough words that could accurately express how amazing you all are. As we all have witnessed in the past year and more, life is an extremely precious commodity and nothing in the world personifies that like your relationship with your mother. Please take the time to reflect on how special your mother is and shower her with all your love and kindness. She’s earned it.
Quite simply, there truly aren’t enough words to explain the greatness of mothers, but I’ll leave it to Abraham Lincoln to capture better than anyone else. He said, “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”