A Mother's Voice

When we are very small, our mothers' voices are our life guides:  "Eat your veggies; they are good for you", or "Don't play in the street or you could get hit by a car",or "Be kind".  Their words teach us, warn us, fill us up, and calm us down.

As we grow into the semi-independent teen years, our mothers are not always right there with us to remind us to floss, use our manners, or wear a seat belt. But we still hear their voices in moments of peer pressure and times of self-doubt.  We know what they would say in that moment because they have already said it a thousand times.  By this time in our lives, our mothers' voices have been ingrained in us; they are the roots of a burgeoning conscience.

In adulthood, we hopefully emerge as responsible people with a fully developed moral compass.  Maybe we still hear our mothers' voices from time to time. Maybe we hear our own inner voices.  Maybe we hear God.  Whatever it is, it was our mothers who planted the seeds of intuition and good judgment all those years ago.

These thoughts dominate my mind as I think about a sweet family in our small community that lost a wife and mother just yesterday.  Three young boys and their devoted father are now faced with a life without the heart of their family.  She was amazing, striking a truly admirable balance between work and family.  She gave those boys her time, love and humor every day.  She knew she was raising young men and she actively worked to build strong, kind individuals.

Now that she is gone, I pray that the boys will listen closely and continue to hear her strong and certain voice.  They will hear her and feel her.  She will continue to guide, console, and love them because the groundwork she laid is so stellar.

I cannot imagine the pain of a young child losing his mother.  I still get to see my mom, talk to her, and hear her voice every day.  I benefit from her wisdom and friendship in my adult life.  I know I will reach a point when I must try to remember the sound of her voice and when I can only speak to her in my heart.  I dread that day.

This loss reminds me that, every day, I breathe my love, my faith, my morals, and my attitudes into my children.  My voice builds their character and lights their way.  I am so humbled to be charged with such an awesome responsibility.  I must never, ever forget that my words today will be whispers on their hearts tomorrow.  I need to make them count.