When I was a teenager, my family passed through a difficult hardship. I remember sitting at the dining room table one afternoon while watching a bird in the garden and being amazed that even through this time of scarcity, I could hear my mother in the kitchen humming a happy song as she prepared lunch. I jotted down the following poem and I think about it often this time of year.
Behold the mockingbird.
In times of plentitude,
She sings her happy song.
In times of need,
Her melody remains unchanged.
Today, I celebrate the quiet strength of mothers around the world who carry entire families each and everyday of the year. Happy Mother’s Day.