Mom's day

Mother’s Day came and went. My mother died about 25 years ago. When I started raising children of my own, I became aware of the phrase, “Children are on loan from God”. I’m wondering if perhaps that is also true of mothers.

First we borrowed their warmth and nurturing from within. Then we borrowed their tender arms and nutrition when we couldn’t fend for ourselves. During my childhood, Mom took control of my daily activities like getting out of bed, enrolling in schools, getting to cub scouts on time and starting drum lessons.

I’m not sure when dad took over; perhaps it was in one of those early teen times when my mouth ran faster than my brain (might still be suffering from that) when I talked to mom. But she didn’t disappear from the rearing process.

Then, as earth suits tend to do, mom suffered a fractured back when she picked up her nine pound bowling ball after two and a half games. Days later the physicians diagnosed a rare blood borne cancer that destroyed bone density. My sister and I borrowed mom for a little longer before we returned her. She lay in her hospital bed and in her last words she said, “Let’s get the show on the road.” My wife and I knew she wasn’t talking to us, but to her Father in Heaven.