Mother's Day Wishes

A long, long time ago & very far away, there lived a young, kind, beautiful California girl. She grew up, went to college, got married, and before long had a daughter of her own.  A mother was born.

The years went by and she added a boy and another girl to her growing family. There was joy and heartbreak, good times and hard work.  The regular stuff that makes a life.  A move across country, far away from home, and then back again.  New friends, new jobs, new houses.  Her children grew, got married, and had little ones of their own.  Retirement arrived with a chance to relax and enjoy, to take a step back and rediscover the California girl.

Through it all, and above all else, she was a mother.  She loved her children with all her heart, and no job could be as important.  No matter how old they grew, they would always be her babies, and she worried and fretted over them constantly.  She was still the caretaker.

And then suddenly everything changed.  One wrong step, and she was on the ground with a broken arm and ribs, unable to move.  Six months and two surgeries later, her arm was mostly healed.  But the universe had more in store for her.  Her husband died unexpectedly, her house had to be sold, and the new life she was building in retirement came crashing down.  

Now our roles were reversed, and she needed me to take care of her.

At first I grumbled and complained.  There was so much going on in my life.  I didn't have time.  It was too inconvenient. 

But luckily, I learned how to be a mother from one of the best.  And before long, the nurturing side took over.  I wanted to be there for her.  I wanted her to gather strength from me.

So much has changed.  All of our lives have been turned upside down, but no one has suffered more than my mother.  She's lost her husband of fifty years, she's currently homeless, and she's not sure what to do next.  But no matter what, she has me.

Because above all else, I'm her daughter.  I love her with all my heart, and helping her through this time is a very important job.  No matter how old she grows, she will always be my mom, and I will worry and fret over her.  

On this Mother's Day, I have so many wishes for my mom.  I want her to feel fulfilled, to be healthy and strong, to find something she enjoys doing, and to have fun.

But mostly, I want her to know that the day she gave birth to me, a long, long time ago, and very far away, she became my mother, my caretaker, and my friend.  And now it's my privilege to return the favor.

Today I'm linking up again with the lovely writers at Finish The Sentence Friday. This week's prompt was "A long, long time ago, and very far away".  Head over to read some great posts from this talented group of writers.