REFLECTIONS

“The mother’s heart is the child’s

schoolroom.”
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887)

The “The heart of a mother is a deep

abyss at the bottom of which you will
always find forgiveness.
—Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850)

Best! “Youth fades, love droops, the leaves

of friendship fall; a mother’s secret
hope outlives them all.”
By Ariana Keating —Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809–1894)
“My mother is the best!” How many times have you heard children say
that? Probably too many to count. I remember being of kindergarten age “A mother is the truest friend we have.
and arguing with my playmates, “My mother is prettier than your mother! When trials, heavy and sudden, fall
My mother is smarter than your mother! My mother can run faster than your upon us; when adversity takes the
mother! My mother is the best!” Years later, I still believe it. place of prosperity; when friends who
I’ve always thought that on the dawn of their motherhood God hands rejoice with us in our sunshine desert
the mother-to-be a package containing an extra dose of love and patience. us, when troubles thicken around us,
That would explain why mothers can face with a smile so many things that still will she cling to us, and endeavor
make the rest of us cringe. I know for a fact that my mother had a lot of by her kind precepts and counsels to
patience with us four rowdy kids. dissipate the clouds of darkness, and
If I was sick, my mom was there to comfort me. If I had a nightmare, my cause peace to return to our hearts.”
mom was there to remind me that God’s love and light are much stronger —Washington Irving (1783–1859)
than the Devil’s fear and darkness. If I came home from school in tears,
having been wronged by another child, my mother was there to wipe away “A mother is not a person to lean
my tears and explain that there will always be disappointments and hurts, on, but a person to make leaning
but that the beautiful moments of life will far outweigh them. Even now unnecessary.”
when problems come my way, my mom’s words come to mind—words that —Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879–1958)
helped me hold on before. A child always remembers those!
Being adventurous, I wanted to leave home and “start my own life” at “Mothers have as powerful an
an early age. My mom supported me in that decision and let me go. And influence over the welfare of future
when I came home, she welcomed me with open arms. She even accepted generations as all other earthly causes
the “improvements” I’d made in the meantime, including shorter hair of combined.”
another color and a nose ring. I knew she loved my hair and nose just the —John S. C. Abbott (1840–1916)
way God had made them, but she accepted the fact that I had to make my
own decisions, even if some of them would turn out to be wrong. “Motherhood is the greatest potential
I know Mom would like to have all four of us kids around her always, influence in human society. Her
but she has given my grown brother and me to God and is proud that we caress first awakens in the child a
are serving Him where and how we feel called. When the time comes, I sense of security; her kiss the first
know she will also support my younger two brothers in their decisions. realization of affection; her sympathy
I owe a lot of firsts to my mom—my first breath, my first steps, my first and tenderness, the first assurance
guitar chord, the first cake I baked, the first meal I cooked. She has given that there is love in the world. Thus
so much to me! One day, when I become a mother, I only hope that I will be in infancy and childhood she implants
able pass on to my children all the love and understanding and everything ever-directing and restraining
else that my mother gave me. influences that remain through life.”
The Bible’s wise King Solomon described my mom beautifully when he —David O. McKay (1873–1970)
wrote: “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of
kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat “The bearing and the training of a
the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed” (Proverbs child is woman’s wisdom.”
31:26–28). In other words, she’s the best! —Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)

R341GP—May 2006
Topics: motherhood
Reflections © 2006 The Family International
Visit our Web site at www.thefamily.org.
Ariana Keating is a full-time member of the Family International
in Thailand.

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