Mother from Pat Richards Whitehead e-mail

Subject: Mother
> >
> > This is a truly BEAUTIFUL.
> >
> > Please read this at a slow pace, digesting every word
> and in leisure...do
> > not hurry....this is a treasure...
> >
> > For those lucky to still be blessed with your Mom,
> this is beautiful. For
> > those of us who aren't, this is even more beautiful.
> For those who are moms,
> > you'll love this.
> >
> >
> > 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 ever 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.'
> > < STRONG>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've 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!< /B>
> >
> >
> > If you still have Her near, then Cherish and Adore
> Her, For once she's gone,
> > there's no going back!
> >
> > If she has passed, then never forget her, For when you
> have passed, she will
> > be the first waiting for you.
> >
> > PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE MOTHERS & CHILDREN YOU
> KNOW.
> > MAY WE NEVER TAKE OUR MOTHERS FOR GRANTED...
> >
> > Pass it on to the men...because they have
> mothers, too.