Mother's Day

Mother's Day once more is here. Today is May 14th, Mother's Day in the United States and Canada and on the Island of Puerto Rico.

Personally I don't like this day ever since my mother passed away. What I dislike the most about it is the Mass celebrated in honor of all Mothers dead and alive in our Church. Father Alberto gets very sentimental on days like this one and you can see tears in the eyes of all those that no longer have their mother with them. I'm one of the ones that used to cry. But I must admit that this year I didn't shed any tears while listening to the priest which just goes to show that I have hardened. I don't know if I should consider that as a good thing or on the contrary, not good at all. I mean about becoming hard. It isn't that I don't miss my mother for I know I miss her very much. It's been 24 years, but it still feels like only yesterday that she passed away. All Mother's Day ever since have been and still are very sad days for me.

What I would really like is to go to bed on Saturday and wake up on the Monday after Mother's Day. I want to totally skip it and not have to go through it. It's too much of a sad day. Of course, whoever waits for Mother's Day to remember they have a mother ought to be ashamed of themselves. To me Mother's Day is every single day of the year. One should honor their mother all year round.

When my mother was with me Mother's Day was a time full of joy and happiness. Here's a poem I wrote for my mother today. I named it "Mother Dearest":

MOTHER DEAREST

Mother, you cradled me in your arms with your soul's song
One by one my soft little fingers interlacing with your own
Tireless you watched over me like a fearless keeper
Humbly teaching me to be honest, respectful, kind, and tender.
Everlasting memories of my childhood I now contemplate
Rather like mute witnesses of the being you forged in my fate.

Dutifully saying "thank you" I know is not
Enough to describe your gift of self-denial that
As my mother you bestowed on me.
Remembering the privilege of calling you MOM
Earnestly speaking I now say, not "Thank you", but "Gracias."
So today I affirm that I am and will always be
The continuation of your essence in time.

Carmen L. Iglesias Sierra
May 14, 2006
3:42 PM