winning entry:
I didn’t realize the depth of my mother’s love until I became a mother. I knew that she loved me because she showed me every day. She was there for me, day in and day out, everyday. Dad worked and went to school, but my mom was always there. She never went to get her nails done, rarely went shopping without one of us kids, and she never went out to lunch with friends. Mom stayed home and took care of us. I took it for granted, but I know the value of it now. I was blessed, and I still am.
Now, when I call her, she is still there. She listens to me complain about the homework, the endless laundry, and the carpools. Unlike my friends who commiserate with me, she tells me how much she misses those days. She encourages me to treasure every minute because these days will be gone all too soon.
Long ago mom told me that the fingerprints that I wipe from the walls will work their way up until one day, they disappear. I’m starting to realize what she meant. I’m so grateful for her wisdom and so blessed to have her in my life.
~Barbara Dunne