The Special Mother
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The Special Mother
Did you ever wonder how mothers of disabled children were chosen?
Somehow I visualize God, hovering over the Earth, selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
โThis one gets a daughter. The Patron saint will be Cecelia.โ
โThis one gets twins. The Patron saint will be Matthew.โ
โThis one gets a son. The Patron saintโฆ. give her Gerard. Heโs used to profanityโ
Finally, He passes a name to an angel and smiles, โGive her a disabled child.โ
The angel is curious, โWhy this one God? Sheโs so happy.โ
โExactly,โ smiles God. โCould I give a disabled child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel.โ
โBut has she patience?โ askes the angel.
โI donโt want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, sheโll handle it. I watched her today, she has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child Iโm going to give her has his own world. She has to make him live in her world and thatโs not going to be easy.โ
โBut Lord, I donโt think she even believes in you.โ
God smiles, โNo matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect โ she has just enough selfishness.โ
The angel gasps โ โSelfishness? Is that a virtue?โ
God nods. โIf she canโt separate herself from the child occasionally, sheโll never survive. Yes here is a woman whom I will Bless with a child less than perfect. She doesnโt realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a โspoken wordโ. She will never consider any โstepโ ordinary. When her child says โMommaโ for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and will know it! I will permit her to see clearly the things I seeโฆ ignorance, cruelty, and prejudiceโฆ and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing my work as surely as if she is here by my side.โ
โAnd what about her Patron saint?โ asks the angel, his pen poised in mid air. God smiles, โA mirror will suffice.โ
Happy Motherโs Day
PSN _Special Fathers adapted from Erma Bombeck
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This post originally appeared on our May/June 2013 Magazine