Whispering in My Mother's Ear
In response to the writing call: Influential Women
May 28, 2010.
The TV blares as I sit at my desk blindly behind a bookcase and hear the words: "hitchhikers"," Iran" and 'Mothers." For the first time in nine months the captive Americans hitchhikers are allowed to see their families and in my mind Iran is simply putting on a show much like Walt Disney would. Seeing sole female captive Sarah Shourd adjust her mother's head scarf mixed with tears on television is enough to make any mother cry.
"Please, please, please let them out," Bauer's mother Cindy Hickey said to journalists, adding that a gesture of clemency would show Iran in a good light as quoted on Yahoo news.
(picture of Sarah courtesy of maggiesblogspot)
I carefully watch the shadowy image of Shourd softly whispering into her mother's ear. She has been in solitary confinement for nine months and has had lots of time to think. What did she say to her mother? Would would I say to my late mother? What would you say to your mother after periods of lapsed time?
My mother died way too young at thirty four and battled cancer for years. I was not the good child and behaved more like McCauley Culkin in the movie "The Good Son." Because of her continued absence in our family as a result of sickness I thought she did not love me. Today, I know now I was wrong.
What would I say to my mother if I was Sarah ? I have had lots of times to think like Sarah Shourd and what would I tell her in one sentence to make sure she knew how much love I had for her?
There is no doubt that if I had one last chance I would say:
"I'm sorry, I love you more than you will ever know."
Is that what Sarah said to her mother after being caught hiking on the Iran border without a GPS? Mothers realize they cannot forgive what we did in the past but their reassuring words will affect our futures. A mother always has to think twice - for both herself and for her child - and her hugs last long after she lets go. Who else kisses all our offenses into everlasting forgiveness? Sarah Shroud's did and I like to think my mother would have too.
“Mothers and their children are in a category all their own. There's no bond so strong in the entire world. No love so instantaneous and forgiving.”
― Gail Tsukiyama, Dreaming Water
The Humm has one of my stories in their newspaper and online for th...
http://www.thehumm.com/current_issue.htm
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Former CHS student Bob Bromby enjoying the book!
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Views: 134
Tags: hitchhikers, influential-women, iran, mothers, mothers-daughters, sarah-Shourd, women, women's-day
Comment
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Comment by Claudia Allen on March 10, 2013 at 8:09am -
I feel blessed I had my mother who loved me and didn't put any pressure on me. Her words were, Claudia, go out there and do whatever you want to do. We weren't allowed to do anything and our father always had to accompany us and picked what profession we were to go into etc. I now visist my mother who has alzheimers and sit and read with her like she did with us. Reading out loud and following the words with my fingers. Hugging her close. . she is a child again. . . I was one of the lucky ones.
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Comment by Matt Paust on March 7, 2013 at 8:48pm -
Kenny nailed it -- a heartstring tugger, for sure!
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Comment by Linda Seccaspina on March 6, 2013 at 8:30am -
Thanks Kenny..
love ya Margaret
Zanelle- there has to be some good stuff somewhere
Sheila.. we all turned out to be our moms
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Comment by Kenneth Sibbett on March 5, 2013 at 9:47pm -
This was one of your best~It tugged at the heart strings, just like good writing should.
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Comment by margaret clay jacob on March 5, 2013 at 9:23pm
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I agree with Sheila that we realize later on in life and especially after they are no longer with us. I'm so sorry, Linda that you didn't have more time with your Mom to get to know her better and to have her show you how to cook, sew, knit and all the other things my Mom did with me. Even after all this I did not truly appreciate and realize how hard she had worked since we were quite poor and she did so much that she grew old before her time and she lived to be 82 yrs old.
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Comment by Zanelle on March 5, 2013 at 8:39pm -
Moms...don't get me started. I am so jealous of anyone who has mother love. I am hungry for it but it is warped in my life. That leaves a mark.
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Comment by Linda Seccaspina on March 5, 2013 at 7:52pm
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We see it all too late sometimes Sheila.. but we remember
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Comment by Sheila Luecht on March 5, 2013 at 7:50pm -
Our mothers, if it is possible to understand, often mean so much more to us in later life than we understood or knew when we were with them. I think that your situation is worse, having been so long without your mother. In my situation I had so many unrealistic expectations to meet that I found it difficult until years after she passed to truly see and understand some of what she was doing. I am sorry for all that you missed, but I know that you employed all love and caring possible when you were a mom.
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Comment by Linda Seccaspina on March 5, 2013 at 5:29pm
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Thanks Shelley!!
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Comment by Shelley Smith on March 5, 2013 at 4:43pm -
Lovely post Linda.
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