At this time we are reminded (at least for many of us) of the sacrifices that our mothers made for us. She carried us in her womb, fed us, and took care of our many needs. We all have our own memories of our mothers; whether good or bad- but the fact remains you wouldn’t be reading this without a mother, having carried you in her womb. She felt us grow within her body, felt our every move from within, and rejoiced knowing there was a living being separate from herself, a miracle from G-d.
My mother was a widow, she raised 6 children in the projects in a small house of about 400 square feet with 1 bathroom. It was a rough neighborhood. I remember heroin houses on the corner from where we lived that we had to pass on our way to school. My mother’s message to us was, “Don’t stare just keep walking.” She worked 2-3 jobs most of her life to provide for her children.
She was born in 1929 and was a hidden child during the Holocaust. She never spoke about her mother because she couldn’t speak, not due to the fact she had bad memories of her- but her heart couldn’t bring herself to, due to her overwhelming love and loss of not having her mother. So I didn’t hear much about my grandmother. My maternal grandparents were in Bergen-Belsen.
As an adult, I realized that my mother lived her life in fear. She would pace in our little apartment after we (children) went to bed, and I could hear her praying as I fell asleep, and in the morning her bible would be in its usual place: open on the kitchen table. She may have been worried about the “what if’s,” but I never went to sleep afraid because I knew my mom was watching out for me.
When I became a young adult, she told me, “Don’t let your surroundings dictate your life and don’t use this place as an excuse for your future. You are here because of my choices not yours.”
As I grow older, I’m remembering more and more of my mother’s words. I’m realizing she was very strong, courageous, wise, and most importantly, she loved G-d. I don’t remember most of our arguments we had (we had a lot) or what they were about because it doesn’t matter. I do remember her cooking, her noticeable refinement that other’s noticed to; by the way she sat, spoke, ate, and carried herself. Her taste for scarves, undergarments, and fragrances were always a curiosity for me. She would save her money in her mattress “bank,” and she occasionally would treat herself to a nicety that made her smile. She could have been a socialite for all we knew.
🌷 I miss my mother, and her calls on my birthday. I loved and love her still. So for those of you that no longer have your mothers on this earth, let’s remember our mothers with thankfulness, and the promises that G-d made in His Word; Psalm 68:5 “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is G-d in his holy dwelling.”
How reassuring to know that our heavenly Father is watching out for us, in their absence, and those of you that still have your mother, thank G-d for her, and let her know you love her- not only today but everyday. Proverbs 31:28 “Her children arise and call her blessed..”