MESSAGE SENT TO ME, MADE ME THINK OF MY MOM (PASSED 09/30/04);

For those who are lucky to still be blessed with your Mom this is
>beautiful. For those who aren't, this is even more beautiful.
>
>The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long
way?" she asked.
>And the guide said "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old
>before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the
beginning."
>
>But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that
anything
>could be better than these years.
>
>So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed them, and
>taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike and reminded them
to
>feed the dog, and do their homework and brush their teeth.
>
>The sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will
ever be lovelier than this."
>
>Then the nights came, and the storms, and the path was sometimes
dark,
>and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them
>close and covered them with her arms, and the children
said, "Mother, we
>are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."
>
>And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children
>climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times
she
>said to the children, "A little patience and we are there."
>
>So the children climbed, and as they climbed they learned to weather
>the storms. And with this, she gave them strength to face the world.
Year
>after year, she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but
most of all unconditional love.
>
>And when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have
done it without you."
>
>The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and
the
>mother grew old and she became little and bent. But her children
were
>tall and strong, and walked with courage. And the mother, when she
lay
>down at night, looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better
day than
>the last, for my children have learned so much and are now passing
these
>traits on to their children."
>
>And when the way became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her
>their strength, just as she had given them hers.
>One day they came to a hill, and beyond the hill, they could see a
>shining road and golden gates flung wide.
>
>And mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I
know
>the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk with
>dignity and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their
children after them."
>
>And the children said, " You will always walk with us, Mother, even
>when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched
her as
>she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they
said: "We
>cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more
than a
>memory. She is a living presence."
>
>Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as
you
>walk down the street, she's the smell of certain foods you remember,
>flowers you pick and perfume that she wore, she's the cool hand on
your brow
>when you're not feeling well, she's your breath in the air on a cold
>winter's day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep,
the colors of a
>rainbow, she is Christmas morning.
>
>Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in
every tear drop.
>A mother shows every emotion..........happiness, sadness, fear,
jealousy,
>love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow.....and all
the
>while, hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in
life.
>
>She's the place you came from, your first home, and she's the map
you
>follow with every step you take. She's your first love, your first
friend,
>even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you. Not
time,
>not space...............not even death!
>
>PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS AND SONS YOU KNOW....
>MAY WE NEVER TAKE OUR MOTHERS FOR GRANTED