Kim Rossi

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's day can bring with it many emotions. The overwhelming emotion and pride you feel for on your first Mother's day. The excitement of your first pregnant Mother's day. The wonder of motherhood as you hold your adopted infant. The satisfaction of your 30th Mother's day, as your grown child visits. The sadness of the memory of Mother's day for the woman whose child has died.

The melancholy and sense of loss of a woman who had a miscarriage and instead of holding her baby is holding her head in her hands. The unbearable grief of a woman who has lost an infant (I emailed with a woman last night who lost TWO of her triplets, the third has autism - blame mitochondrial disorder. I can not get her out of my mind. I am not a cyberhug, touchy feely kind of gal - but I would love to hug this woman and tell her how very sorry I am for her loss.)

The panic of a the woman who sees the destruction of war around her and wonders if her children will survive. The disbelief and determination of the woman who sees the waters take over her village and must search for food and clean water for her children.

Mother's Day. It's not all roses and candy and paper mache flowers made in preschool. I found the painting at the top of this post on line by an artist named Sheldon Feuerstein. I might even buy it. It reminded me of how I might look as a mother in 20 years. Gray haired, kissing my adult daughters. Still caring for them the way I did on the day they were born, perhaps. I don't know. I plan to recover them as far as I can. God may have other plans. And I'll just have to abide by them.

I kiss my girls today with as much love as I did on the day they were born. And I'll do so for the rest of my life.

Happy Mother's Day.