#1 - We all began here!
With Mother's Day approaching, it seemed fitting to begin our journey with a MIMIT that honours maternal love. This MIMIT is my tribute to mothers everywhere, from every country, race and generation.
Choose whichever words you prefer - fortunate, lucky, blessed - many of us feel this way about our mothers. I had a wonderful mother, for whom I'm deeply and forever grateful. My only regret is that I failed to question her more closely about her life before I was born. She was a courageous and gifted woman.
Maternal instinct
A loving mother wakes in the night
To soothe her child's sobs and fright
She'll run a mile to get her food
Makes quite sure she gets to school
A loving mother has few hours of leisure
A loving mother is one to treasure.
However, that's probably a very small regret for those who've never known their mother at all. Perhaps through illness, war, sudden death. All these are tragedies that can affect the whole of a child's life. There's another sadness, too, for the child who's never been quite sure of their mother's love for them.
Motherhood is a privilege. Being normal human beings, we've all had our rocky moments. Sibling squabbles, mealtime mayhem, adolescent attitudes. If you're the most saintly mother on this earth, you're still allowed to run out of patience - occasionally anyway! But deep maternal love will always seek to restore the balance.
This MIMIT I wrote last Mother's Day, for my wonderful daughter-in-law, Zee. But it's also a heart-felt tribute to all mothers of every country, every race, every age. Including those who've chosen a different path to motherhood. In short, all mothers everywhere. The world wouldn't exist without them.
Although perhaps some individuals out there are planning an artificial version? I'll say no more!