South Sea Pearl

Everyone has a story about their mother. Mothers are as different as their unique personalities. Some are patient and kind. Some are loud and obnoxious. Others are very opinionated. In spite of these characteristic differences in a mother’s personality, they do the best that they can, as there is no wrong way to love their child.

Being a mother is both the most challenging and the most rewarding experience a woman can have. Through all of the stages their children go through, a mother’s love is unconditional; it is constant; it never ends. Just as a child’s development goes through different stages, a mother’s love goes through stages, as well.

My mother is celebrating her eightieth birthday in a couple months. She is one of those women who needs nothing, and who finds happiness in the simplest things. I decided to pay tribute to her life, and especially her motherhood, buy selecting an assortment of Italian charms that would each have special meaning to her. Each charm reflects a certain period of her life as a wife, a mother and a grandmother. I’m sure it will bring tears for her, but I’m sure it will also remind her of many happy times with more to anticipate.

For the mother who just gave birth to a red-faced, wrinkly skinned, squalling infant with no hair, no teeth, and no idea of who this woman is, her first comment is “Isn’t my baby the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in your life?!” A new mother’s love is blind.

A mother’s love for her toddler is patient, as she tirelessly teaches this youngster what society expects of them. Temper tantrums thrown in frustration are dealt with. Lessons in potty training and communication are constant. Though this stage is short-lived, it takes a lot of energy to keep up with a rambunctious child of this age. The mother’s love grows with each accomplishment.

The love for the school-aged child can best be described as consistent, as the mother learns to let her child develop an individual personality. She allows her child to socialize; enables her child to experience life; challenges her child to become independent; supports her child through trials and triumphs, alike. Through all of these stages of development, her love is unwavering.

The mother of the teen-ager experiences a love which is forgiving. Adolescents often test their boundaries; challenge the rules; bend the truth. Even though they are trying to be independent, they lack the maturity to do so. Often, mistakes are made. All a mother can do is encourage the child to learn from their mistakes; to take responsibility for their actions; to face the consequences. By doing so, she is enabling the child to grow into a self-reliant adult.

The love a mother has for her adult child is full of pride, for she has the satisfaction of a job well done in raising her child. Her efforts have been successful. Her love has overcome all of the obstacles and stages in life. This love is reciprocated because the adult child realizes and appreciates the love their mother has shown them throughout their life.

There is a special bond formed by mother and daughter once the daughter becomes a mother. The mother’s ever-changing role is now defined by the name “Grandmother”, and she understands…she knows…she empathizes and sympathizes with what her daughter will need to be as a mother. For, there is no stronger love than that of a mother; and no love more rewarding than becoming a grandmother!