I attended a baptism on Sunday for a little 8 year old boy in our ward named Lewis. He and his four younger brothers came to live with their grandmother in our ward because their mother has had serious problems that have left her incapable of being a parent at this time. His brothers are two sets of twins, ages 6 and 4. That's a lot of boys! I was asked to lead the music for Lewis' baptism, and I gladly agreed.
I sat about three rows back, and watched as people from the ward filled the room. And all of a sudden, one of the twin boys said with such pure joy, "It's Mommy!" and five little boys ran into the hallway, which I could see just through the doorway, and jumped on their mommy, who was crouching down to receive them.
She came in quietly and discreetly and sat down at the end of the front row, and her lap and arms overflowed with her little ones. They looked at her with such reverence and love and acceptance. They were telling her all the details of their lives, and she was caressing each one in turn, and nestling her nose into their hair, and rubbing their backs gently. And smiling. And crying. I heard one of her boys say to her, "I miss you, Mommy."
They've been away from her for several months, and though they get to visit her, she isn't quite ready to have them back yet. Having never seen her before, and only seeing the results of some of her choices, I am afraid that maybe I had made decisions about her in my mind. But she loved those babies, and they loved her. They adored her. They had stars in their eyes for her. She was their everything. They forgave her. I couldn't take my eyes away, it was so beautiful to see. A mother's love is powerful, but the love of a child transcendent. It's why the Savior loved them so. It's why He asked us to become like them.
I ached for her ache. At the end of the service, she would give over her children to her mother and go home empty-handed. I prayed that she has a speedy recovery and can resume her role in their lives. God bless all the little children.
5 comments:
That was so beautifully expressed, Jenna. I'm crying...and I don't know if it's sadness for her...or joy at her reunion with her little ones. I'll pray for her too.
I too am crying. How sweet and touching this story was. Thank you for sharing, Jenna.
You make me cry more than any other blogger, is there a crying blog award you're going for? That was beautiful and so true. Having tried to take the place of another mother in a girl's life I learned the hard way that nothing can replace that role, not all the way. I hope this woman can find her way back to. I hope I can remember how important I am to my own little ones.
I agree with Josi, your blog has made me cry more than any other blog I read. I love the way you are able to write and capture such emotion. I loved this post! I'm going to try harder to be a good mom to my little ones today! Thanks for sharing!
What an amazing post! I need a tissue.
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