(Hanky Time) Too beautiful to wait for Mother's Day.....

[Guest guest]

For those who are lucky to still be blessed with their mom, this is beautiful.

For those who aren't, this is even more beautiful.

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. " Is this the long way? " she

asked. And the guide said, " Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before

you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the eginning. "

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be

better than these years. So she played with her children, she fed them and

bathed them, and taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike and

reminded them to feed the dog and do their homework and brush their teeth. The

sun shone on them and the young mother cried, " Nothing will ever be lovelier

than this. "

Then the nights came, and the storms, and the path was sometimes dark, and the

children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered

them with her arms, and the children said, " Mother, we are not afraid, for you

are near, and

no harm can come. "

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and

grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children,

" A little patience and we are there. " So the children climbed, and as they

climbed they learned to weather the storms. And with this, she gave them

strength to face the world.

Year after year, she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most of

all ... unconditional love. And when they reached the top they said, " Mother, we

would not have done it without you. "

The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother

grew old and she became little and bent. But her children were tall and strong,

and walked with courage. And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up

at the stars and said, " This is a better day than the last, for my children have

learned so much and are now passing these traits on to their children. "

When the way became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her their strength,

just as she had given them hers. One day they came to a hill, and beyond the

hill, they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. Mother said, " I

have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the

beginning, for my children can walk with dignity and pride, with their heads

held high, and so can their children after them. "

The children said, " You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have

gone through the gates. " They stood and watched her as she went on alone, and

the gates closed after her. And they said, " We cannot see her, but she is with

us still A mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence. "

Your mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down

the street, she's the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick and

perfume that she wore, she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not feeling

well, she's your breath in the air on a cold winter's day. She is the sound of

the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a rainbow, she is your birthday

morning.

Your mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear

drop. A mother shows every emotion...happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love,

hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow...all the while, hoping and

praying you will only know the good feelings in life. She's the place you came

from, your first home, and she's the map you follow with every step you take.

She's your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on

earth can separate you. Not time, not space...not even death.

~ " If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the

entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand. "