PAIRINGS: A Mother's Secret Hope

Youth fades, love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; a mother's secret hope outlives them all. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

When I see a quote that strikes a chord with me, I jot it down and save it somewhere. I've had that habit for years.. many years! Being the blessed generation that we are, keeping those quotes has gotten much easier as we've embraced what's offered to us through technology. True confessions...
I have over 2000 quotes in an Excel file & that's not all I have saved! I also have an addiction to taking photographs (ask the LOML!). And, I'm extremely picky about the lighting, the angle, the composition, the balance, etc.

A few years back, I began pairing the quotes with pictures I'd taken. And, I began sharing them on my own personal Facebook page & in my blog posts. In 2014, I began a public Facebook page for the purpose of encouraging & inspiring people and connecting with a larger group of people than in my normal world... here in "stuckinindiana".

As I was going through my quotes looking at ones that might be good for Mother's Day, I came across one I'd save years ago but, not yet paired up or shared. As I read the quote...

"Youth fades, love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; a mother's secret hope outlives them all." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

 
 ... I was struck by the last line and the thought of the secret hopes I hold in my heart for my two children AND the secret hopes that my mom holds for me. I can only speak from my perspective - a woman who's given birth to a daughter & a son - but... having a baby changed me FOREVER in a magical way! My life became more important and less important at the very same moment. I set the bar higher for myself to live my beliefs openly for my children to see & critique, to be the best mom I could be, to be the best wife I could be, to be involved in the world outside my walls...  My secret hopes for my children have never faded in intensity. They've only grown stronger as the years go by.

I truly believe that if each one of us thought of ourselves as a cherished child all through our lives, we'd take more chances to GROW... to LEARN... to LOVE... to FORGIVE... to FLY!

I'd like to encourage you today to look at yourself that way... as the recipient of a mother's secret hope. See what you can do with that mindset :)