By T.K.
I was speaking to my son and I recounted with him the fact that he was in my stomach for a long time. Nine months! But then I realized that – in some sense – the potential of him had been with me basically my entire life. He giggled when I said that – in a way, part of him was forty years old.
The realization struck me deeply because, in a very real way, it means that my children have been with me my whole life. And while today each of them is largely their own autonomous, unique, and interesting little people living outside of my body, in my heart, they would also always be with me into eternity.
It made me view my own girls differently and inspired me to want to understand what this means in terms of my son. Thinking about male biology, it was touching to me to think that out of an infinite variety of possibilities, each of our children is a miracle. Like a butterfly touching down on an endless ocean at the exact moment a turtle breaks through to the surface to meet that same butterfly, so is the miracle of life for each person on earth.
This also made me realize that I – as my parent’s child – have been and are always now with them. Is it only physical proximity that determines that they are with me? I think: they may be an ocean away, but our thoughts and hearts are constantly touching back and forth. It made me realize how silly it is for us to consider ourselves – and each other – as individuals. We are each deeply, uniquely interconnected. And this is how God has so wisely and lovingly designed us.
In our hearts, our minds, our spirits, and our bodies, we carry the past and present, and future with us. How awesome and transformative might this realization be when we interact with others not just as the person in front of us, but as representatives of the miracle of everyone who came before them and those that will come after? And how much more deep does this make our own connection with our Creator, God Himself?
This Mother’s Day, I’m going to thank my mother not just for being my mother, but for being with me – always.
Happy Mother’s Day.