Reflection on the values and importance of mothers
Reflection on the values and importance of mothers
From time to time I pause and remember one who some years ago “emptied” my nest as he left home to begin his transition from being my “little boy” to becoming a man. From Oklahoma to Alaska, there is, today, quite a span of geographic distance between us. Although I do miss him, I feel, with his work and family commitments, a respect for him, when he chooses to devote his time to those near and dear to him. I am grateful for the words in Ecclesiastes 3: “To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven….” As I grow older, I find I am ever so thankful for the memories of my son’s growing up I hold in my heart. It wasn’t always easy; but then, life isn’t always easy either. Thus, I invite you to eavesdrop as I again read this letter, imagining my grown son, sitting across from me at my breakfast table. Perhaps it may inspire you someday to pen similar words to your son.
My Dear Grown Son:
As quickly as time flies by, it will soon be four decades since I first held you as a 6-lb., 13-oz. bundle of joy in my arms. How fast you changed into a toddler, merging even more quickly into a little boy, later escalating into a teenager, and finally fulfilling the goal of becoming a man. In all of those seasons, there were times for planting, harvesting, building, crying, laughing, mourning, dancing, embracing, keeping silent, speaking up, loving, and feeling peace. Further, with each season came the creation of memories and changes for both of us.
Pausing for a moment to reflect, I am reminded of one milestone in 1984—our 3,600-mile journey from Arizona to Alaska—a milestone that would impact my outlook for the rest of my life. The items which would not fit into your little black Mazda RX7 and the car top carrier had already been boxed and air-freighted, awaiting our arrival in Fairbanks. Riding with you and serving as your map-reader, I had a number of hours during those 4½ days to think about the past and wonder about the future. We captured the beauty of the present that Mother Nature provided us on that scenic drive through northern Arizona into Utah, on up into Idaho, and over and up across eastern...