Bobbi
Cathlete
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, AND GATHERED FLOWERS
FOR THEM ALONG THE WAY, AND BATHED THEM IN THE CLEAR STREAMS,
AND THE SUN SHONE ON THEM, AND THE YOUNG MOTHER CRIED,
"NOTHING WILL BE LOVELIER THAN THIS."
THEN THE NIGHT CAME, AND THE STORM AND THE PATH
WAS DARK, AND THE CHILDREN SHOOK WITH FEAR AND COLD,
AND THE MOTHER DREW THEM CLOSE AND COVERED THEM
WITH HER MANTLE, 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 WHEN THEY REACHED THE TOP THEY SAID, "MOTHER, WE WOULD
NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU." 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
FORTITUDE IN THE FACE OF HARDNESS. YESTERDAY I GAVE THEM
COURAGE. TODAY I HAVE GIVEN THEM STRENGTH."
AND THE NEXT DAY CAME STRANGE CLOUDS WHICH DARKENED THE
EARTH, CLOUDS OF WAR AND HATE AND EVIL, AND THE CHILDREN
GROPED AND STUMBLED, AND THE MOTHER SAID: "LOOK UP. LIFT
YOUR EYES TO THE LIGHT." AND THE CHILDREN LOOKED AND SAW
ABOVE THE CLOUDS AN EVERLASTING GLORY, AND IT GUIDED THEM
BEYOND THE DARKNESS. AND THAT NIGHT THE MOTHER SAID, "THIS
IS THE BEST DAY OF ALL, FOR I HAVE SHOWN MY CHILDREN GOD.
AND THE DAYS WENT ON, AND THE WEEKS AND THE MONTHS AND THE
YEARS, AND THE MOTHER GREW OLD AND SHE WAS LITTLE AND BENT.
BUT HER CHILDREN WERE TALL AND STRONG, AND WALKED WITH
COURAGE. AND WHEN THE WAY WAS ROUGH, THEY LIFTED HER ,
FOR SHE WAS AS LIGHT AS A FEATHER, AND AT LAST THEY CAME TO A
HILL, AND BEYOND 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 ALONE, AND 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 BLEACH IN YOUR
FRESHLY LAUNDERED SOCKS, SHE'S THE COOL HAND ON YOUR BROW WHEN
YOU'RE NOT WELL. YOUR MOTHER LIVES INSIDE YOUR LAUGHTER. AND
SHE'S CRYSTALLIZED IN EVERY TEAR DROP. 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 AND YOUR FIRST HEARTBREAK, AND NOTHING ON EARTH
CAN SEPARATE YOU.....NOT TIME, NOT SPACE......NOT EVEN DEATH.
PASS THIS ON THE ALL THE MOTHER'S AND CHILDREN YOU KNOW.
MAY WE NEVER TAKE OUR MOTHERS FOR GRANTED.
."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, AND GATHERED FLOWERS
FOR THEM ALONG THE WAY, AND BATHED THEM IN THE CLEAR STREAMS,
AND THE SUN SHONE ON THEM, AND THE YOUNG MOTHER CRIED,
"NOTHING WILL BE LOVELIER THAN THIS."
THEN THE NIGHT CAME, AND THE STORM AND THE PATH
WAS DARK, AND THE CHILDREN SHOOK WITH FEAR AND COLD,
AND THE MOTHER DREW THEM CLOSE AND COVERED THEM
WITH HER MANTLE, 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 WHEN THEY REACHED THE TOP THEY SAID, "MOTHER, WE WOULD
NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU." 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
FORTITUDE IN THE FACE OF HARDNESS. YESTERDAY I GAVE THEM
COURAGE. TODAY I HAVE GIVEN THEM STRENGTH."
AND THE NEXT DAY CAME STRANGE CLOUDS WHICH DARKENED THE
EARTH, CLOUDS OF WAR AND HATE AND EVIL, AND THE CHILDREN
GROPED AND STUMBLED, AND THE MOTHER SAID: "LOOK UP. LIFT
YOUR EYES TO THE LIGHT." AND THE CHILDREN LOOKED AND SAW
ABOVE THE CLOUDS AN EVERLASTING GLORY, AND IT GUIDED THEM
BEYOND THE DARKNESS. AND THAT NIGHT THE MOTHER SAID, "THIS
IS THE BEST DAY OF ALL, FOR I HAVE SHOWN MY CHILDREN GOD.
AND THE DAYS WENT ON, AND THE WEEKS AND THE MONTHS AND THE
YEARS, AND THE MOTHER GREW OLD AND SHE WAS LITTLE AND BENT.
BUT HER CHILDREN WERE TALL AND STRONG, AND WALKED WITH
COURAGE. AND WHEN THE WAY WAS ROUGH, THEY LIFTED HER ,
FOR SHE WAS AS LIGHT AS A FEATHER, AND AT LAST THEY CAME TO A
HILL, AND BEYOND 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 ALONE, AND 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 BLEACH IN YOUR
FRESHLY LAUNDERED SOCKS, SHE'S THE COOL HAND ON YOUR BROW WHEN
YOU'RE NOT WELL. YOUR MOTHER LIVES INSIDE YOUR LAUGHTER. AND
SHE'S CRYSTALLIZED IN EVERY TEAR DROP. 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 AND YOUR FIRST HEARTBREAK, AND NOTHING ON EARTH
CAN SEPARATE YOU.....NOT TIME, NOT SPACE......NOT EVEN DEATH.
PASS THIS ON THE ALL THE MOTHER'S AND CHILDREN YOU KNOW.
MAY WE NEVER TAKE OUR MOTHERS FOR GRANTED.
