An Unending Story
Glenys Robyn Hicks
It
is said a mother will raise a child for 18 years
or so. What is not told you is that with each
child, a mother’s heart is fragmented and not
only will she give that child a Life Story at
birth, but she will also give it her heart
forever. Throughout the rest of her life she
will be her child’s biggest influence,
inscribing values and skills in its Life’s
Book.
Every Page of that child’s life will be
scrutinized and lived through. Every word, every
full-stop measured in feeding progress, weight
gain, colic and diaper changes. Every sentence
will be measured in her child holding up its
head, smiling, grasping and focusing. Each early
Chapter will read as accomplishments in
teething, crawling, sitting unsupported, first
words and walking.
Shortly, a mother will become an avid Reader of
the Book of her child’s life and will pore
through it with rapt attention. She will often
re-read the previous Chapters, seeking reasons
for the present Story unfolding in the most
recent Page of her child’s sojourn through life.
Quite often this will be a fruitless exercise as
she cannot re-write the Chapters. However, she
will certainly be able to enhance the outcome of
future Chapters by passing on her foresight and
life skills to her child.
As
the Reader and not the Writer of this Book, the
mother will find that she becomes absorbed in
every Chapter as it unfolds. Often against her
will, she will find that she lives every hurt
and disappointment, every heart ache, every pain
and illness as if it were her own Life’s Story.
And often, being a loving mother, she will wish
that the sad Chapter was her own and not her
child’s….but she is only the Reader.
Every accomplishment, victory, honor or triumph
will become personal as a mother reads and lives
her child’s Story. Indeed many mothers will
find kudos in their children’s unfolding Life
Story, especially if that child is successful.
However, successful or not, a mother will still
remain a loyal and enthusiastic Reader.
It
is not unheard of for a mother to question the
Writer of this Book whilst at the same time
yearning for the Writer’s direction. But try as
she might to become the Writer, this is a Book
that she cannot write. She can and should,
enquire of the Writer for guidance but in doing
so, she must accept that the Editor’s decision
is final.
It
is interesting to note that just as a mother
thinks she may be coming to the end of this
Read, that she will find there is a Sequel which
is just as compelling as the original. This
comes in the form of grandchildren. After one
glance at the Prologue, she will find herself
giving yet more of her heart as her mind relives
the first chapter of her own child’s Life Story.
With shaking hands and teary eyes, she will scan
the Page eagerly, knowing that she will be a
reader of this new child’s Life Story for many
chapters to come. And she will undoubtedly
thank the Writer as she lovingly fingers the new
Page.
©
Glenys Robyn Hicks |