The Seeds of Love by Margaret Hart

Every year since my son began attending school, I have looked forward to and enjoyed so many milestones and celebrations. One day that’s always sweet is Mother’s Day, when he comes home from school with a handmade gift or drawing or card. I always get so excited to see what it will be.

Over the years I have received everything from hand painted flower pots to note cards to sachets, all beautiful objects created with love. One item I really treasure is a sign that hangs in my home office. Its frame is made from painted Popsicle sticks glued together, and it’s signed on the back in my son’s young handwriting. It says: “Mother’s plant the seeds of love that help us bloom forever.”

On this day, Mother’s Day, I think about my mom, who planted the seeds of love that continue to help me bloom every day. I think about what a wonderful mom she has been to me all these years. We were talking just the other day about how she gave birth to me in her early 20s, and I was saying how lucky I am to still have her in my life, supporting me, guiding me, and loving me. I think about all that she has taught me, and all the sacrifices she has made for me over the years because she loves me.

Now that I am a mom myself, I often reflect on how I was raised.  My mom was always there for me. Always loving me. No matter what.  I understand more than ever the deep, yet simple truth, of that saying my son brought home to me one day from preschool. The literal and figurative seeds of love that we receive from our mother’s lay the foundation for our lives. We pass them along to our children. The special seeds of unconditional love that ensure we will bloom forever.

Tags: children, love, Mother's Day, raising children, unconditional love