A Mothers Path

The young mother set her foot on the path of Life. "Is the way long?"
she asked. And her Guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will
be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better
than the beginning."

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything
could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered
flowers for them along the way, and bathed with them in the streams, and
the sun shone on them, and life was good, and the young mother cried:
"Nothing will ever be lovelier than this".

Then night came, and storm, and the path was dark, and the children
shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered
them with her mantle and the children said: "Oh, Mother, we are not
afraid for you are near, and no harm can come." And the mother said:
"This is better than the brightest of days, for I have taught my children
courage."

And the morning came and there was a hill ahead, and the children
climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary, but at all times
she said to the children: "A little patience and we are there." So the
children climbed, and when they reached the top, they said: "We could not
have done it without you,
Mother." And the mother, when she lay down that night, looked up at the
stars and said: "This is a better day than the last, for my children
have learned fortitude in the face of difficulty. Yesterday I gave them
courage,Today I have given them strength."

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth clouds
of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the
mother said: "Look up! Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked
and saw above the clouds an Everlasting Glory, and it guided them beyond
the darkness. And that night the mother said: "This is the best day of
all, for I have shown my children God."

And the days went on, and the months and the years, and the mother grew
old, and she was small and bent. But her children were strong and tall
and walked with courage. And when the way was hard, they helped their
mother; and when the way was rough they lifted her, for she was as light
as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could
see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And the mother said: "I have
reached the end of my journey. And now I know that the end is better
than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children
after them."

And the children said: "You will always walk with us, Mother, even
when you have gone through the gates."

And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates
closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us.
A mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."

--- Temple Bailey ---

Special Journeys

Janets Genealogy Site

Fianna Irish Research

Sylvia's New York Adoption Page

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