A Mother’s Day reflection
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On the morning of Mother’s Day, I sat at my dining room table with piles of family photos around me. I have been tasked with sorting through mountains of images that were shipped to me from from my mother and father’s house. They are both gone now, and their house was recently sold.
I have been devoting a day here and there to this monumental task for many weeks, and there are still two unopened cartons waiting to be explored.
On Sunday I found treasures that touched me deeply.
Connecting to people we love
How perfect it was to see my mother at age 20, and her mother, their smiles shining in a family scene from a time before she was married. It was a wonderful start to Mother’s Day.
A photo of my mother and father beaming on their honeymoon was a sweet sight.
As I went through the envelopes, I saw my parents and grandparents at many ages and in many settings. I saw my great-grandmother, who I remember meeting as a little girl. I saw my dear mother-in-law and father-in-law, often at holiday tables where both sets of my grandparents were part of the scene.
There were photos of me at many ages — taken as a girl on the beach, as a gawky teenager, with my new husband and all through the years. I gazed at photos with aunts and uncles, my children, sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews, family friends.
I smiled wistfully at memories of those who are gone, and marveled at the changes in all of us over time. (Oh, the hairstyles and clothing choices!)
What struck me deeply is the link I have to so many people who came before me and after I arrived.
I marveled at the links to a past that goes back beyond imagination, and that extends into the future as well.
The power of deep connection
What shined though vividly as I looked at all of the photos is the love that has connected all of us, and continues to connect us.
Not that every family relationship has always been harmonious. As in most families, we experienced strains of varying intensity.
Yet the bonds are significant.
And the message that resonates clearly for me is that we are all linked by love.
I also believe that deep love creates light.
My parents and their parents — and the generations before them — all lit the way for the ones who came next, as we light the way to the future.
We can light the world
I believe that when we come together, in our families and our connections to others, those connections have energy.
And that energy emits light — a light that can be sensed, if not seen, by those around us.
Further, I believe that clear light can guide us to a future of love. Of connection. Of peace.
I am inspired to be a catalyst for connections that build love, and, in turn, light.
I believe we can do this in our families, in close relationships, and in professional relationships.
We can be the light together.
Together we can bring more love into a world that needs it.
I hope you will join me.
