A POEM MY MOM USED TO QUOTE TO US 4 GIRLS WHEN WE WERE LITTLE:

 (I didn’t write this one — wrote all the others)

A 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’ll 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 could not believe that anything could be better than these years.  So she played with her children and she gathered flowers for them along the way.  And bathed with them in the clear streams.  And the sun shone on them.  And life was good.  And the young mother cried, “Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.”

And then night came.  And storms.  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’re not afraid.  For you are near.  And no harm can come.”  And the Mother said, “This is better than the brightness of the day.  For I have taught my children courage.”

And the morning came.  And there was a hill ahead.  And the children climbed and they grew weary.  And the mother was weary.  But at all times, she said to the children, “A little patience, and we’ll get 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 laid down that night, she looked up at the stars, and she said, “This is a better day than the last.  For my children have learned strength in the face of hardness – 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 and brought them beyond the darkness.  And that night, the Mother talked of Jesus and said, “This is the best day of all – for I have shown my children God.”

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years.  And the Mother grew old.  And she was little and bent.  But the children were tall and strong.  And they walked with faith and courage.  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 beyond the hill from which she could see a shining road.  And a golden gate flung open 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 – for they walk with God.”  And the children said, “You’ll always walk with us, Mother.  Even when you’ve gone through the gates to the Savior.”  And they stood and they watched her as she went on alone.  And the gates closed behind.  And they said, “We cannot see her – but she is still with us.  A Mother like ours is more than a memory – she is a living presence.”

 

 

 

(I taught both of my girls to Love JESUS.  I hope they always will)