Mothers Day 2011

   There can be no argument that one of a woman's most important roles is that of a mother.  It is one of those roles that comes as naturally as the seasons.  There are no classes, no school, no forcing it, a mother love simply 'is'.
 As we come off another mothers day weekend where moms around the country are adorned with Sunday morning corsages and pastel suits toting pink construction paper cards with globs of glue, glitter and macaroni, I can't help but think of my mom.  No matter the gift I get for her, I have never felt that any mothers day token of appreciation, no matter how extravagant or heartfelt can express the love and gratitude for all that she has done, for all that she is.
No matter the way they express it, there's something innate about a mothers love and protection for her child.  For my mom, love is shown in cleaning.  She spends hours upon hours cleaning her home before I come to visit.  And when she comes to my house, you can bet, even if I have hired Mary Poppins herself to put my house in order, that within 24 hrs, she will be on her hands and knees with a bucket of ammonia and a rag rewashing my kitchen floor.  It used to drive me nuts, insult me, make me feel inferior as a housekeeper, but now I know...she does it because she loves me, it's as simple as that.
   I've just been flicking through the channels and stumbled across the inevitable nature program...man sitting in a field, mama bear and 2 cubs walking within 5 feet of the man.  As the curious cubs come closer and closer to him, the man nervously whispers to the cubs, "that's right, stay right there, don't come any closer."
   As much as we all would like to reach out and cuddle with the little cubs, we know as well as the cautious nature host, "mamma won't be happy if I mess with her babies!"
   As the show progressed, the cubs bounced along behind their mamma through fields and rivers learning the very basics of 'all things bear'.  What followed reminded me once again of the extent of a mothers love for her children.  The mother found a quiet strip of river, far away from the salmon filled buffet line further downstream.  Though a catch would be certain there, the danger of the other bears would be too much of a risk for her little ones.  So, upstream she went to a quiet area where the waters would put her skill to the test, but her two cubs would be safe.
   As the cubs stood on the bank observing their mothers every move, a large male charged toward the  cubs.  Before the cubs even sensed the danger they were in, the mother had turned and rushed the male bear. Less than half the size of the male, the mother jumped onto the back of the predator...biting, clawing, growling...fighting with all that was in her to take down the enemy.  Her life or his...if it comes to that.  Her life for her cubs, she would fight to the death to protect her family.  No thought, simply a primal instinct that took over.  The same instinct that takes over in us, for our children.  Three jobs to put our kids through college?  So be it.  Whatever the cost, a mothers love knows no boundaries.
   As the mamma bear drove the beast twice her size from their hunting ground, I felt myself suppressing the urge to leap to my feet, "go mamma bear," my heart sung!
    And I could almost hear the little ones thoughts..."that's MY mamma.  Hey did you see MY mom?  She's the best!"  The cubs, so proud of their mom, their protector and the one on earth that loves them so very much.
   However your mom shows her love for you...whether its in the whisper of a reaffirming word when your world has fallen apart, kisses on a scraped knee, three time clocks punched in a day or in the reflection of a sparkling kitchen floor; cherish her and try with all your might to show her what that means to you this week.