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What My Mother Always Told Me
The words that carry me throughout life
My mother never sat me down and said these words.
They were implied.
Not overtly but in that…
’ I am your mother, this is where you come from, this is what you mean to me, this is what we believe in, this is what we stand for, this is what life is all about, do not ever let it leave you…kinda way.
I’m not sure when my mother first made it clear.
But I will never forget my first memory of it.
Between all the love and the kisses and the hugs. Between all the tear wiping, the encouragement, and first date mandates. Between the shared confidence, safety, and the world isn’t so scary moments — that every mother generously delivers.
It was just my mother and me.
My mom and I against the world — when her hand in mine made the outside world seem weak and our inner world indomitable.
Only two things clearly mattered in this life.
And that was…
As long as we had God and each other we had everything.
Nothing was complicated.
Her hand in mine.
And more importantly, we were less than perfect.
Just making our way.
Between all the love and the kisses and the hugs. Between all the tear wiping and the encouragement.
We had what she always told me was most important.
God to calm the scary moments and her to wipe away my tears.
The words that still carry me throughout life.
