Deacon Tom Fox

Mother -- I'll Love You Forever

Hello and blessings. I’d like to offer a reflection on mothers – my ‘opening’ column for this wonderful Catholic Mom site. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share some words. And so in this beautiful month of May, let me pay homage to Mary the Mother of God – and through her intercession – I extend these words to all mothers living and deceased.

I share from a short story written by Robert Munsch – it’s called Love You Forever. As you read this, I wonder if you’d consider some areas of meditation? I’ll mention a few of my thoughts at the end of this story… Here goes.

“A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him, she sang: “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be. The baby grew. He grew and grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled food out of the refrigerator, and he took his mother’s watch and flushed it down the toilet. Sometimes, his mother would say, “This kid is driving me CRAZY!”

But at night, when that two year old was quiet, she opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor, looked up and over the side of the bed; and if he was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth. And she sang quietly, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”

The little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was nine years old. And he never wanted to come in for dinner, he never wanted to take a bath, and when grandma visited he always said bad words. Sometimes his mother wanted to sell him to the zoo. But at nighttime, when he was asleep, the mother quietly opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked over the side of his bed. If he was really asleep, she picked up that nine-year-old boy, and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him, she sang, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”

The boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a teenager. He had strange friends and he wore strange clothes and he listened to strange music. Sometimes, the mother felt like she was in the zoo. But at nighttime, when that teenager was asleep, the mother opened the door and crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep, she picked up that great big boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”

The teenager grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a grown-up man. He left home and got a house across town. But sometimes on dark nights, the mother got into her car and drove across town. If all the lights in her son’s house were out, she opened his bedroom window, crawled across the floor, and looked up over the side of his bed.

If that great big man was really asleep, she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”

Well, that mother got older. She got older and older and older. One day she called to her son and said, “You’d better come see me because I’m very old and sick.” So her son came to see her. When he came in the door she tried to sing the song. She sang, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always…” But she couldn’t finish because she was too old and sick. The son went to his mother. He picked her up and rocked her back and forth, back and forth. And he sang this song: “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living, my mommy you’ll be.” When the son came home, that night, he stood for a long time at the top of his stairs. Then he went into the room where his very new baby daughter was sleeping. He picked her up in his arms and very slowly rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while he rocked her, he sang, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”

I know this is bit of an unusual reflection. What does it lead you to think? Can you see this story in terms of God’s tender love and mercy for us? A model of a love that we can learn from – and perhaps begin to pass on to others?

How about this story as model of the Blessed Virgin’s love for us? Or possibly our own mother’s love for us? A love that held us close no matter…

And if now, you experience no significant problems with your children, then you are truly blessed, and thanks be to God. This story tells us it may not always be so. Through the times of rebellion and dyed hair and the sometimes storming out of the house that happens in growing, changing families, are you praying for wisdom? Are you considering the words of Scripture – perhaps the first words in the Epistle of James? It’s about perseverance in trial. Are you doing those things which let young ones know: “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always?”

Happy May. Moms: God loves you. I love you. We love you. We really, really do. Most of us never, ever get over our moms. Deacon Tom.

Tom Fox is an ordained Deacon serving in the Archdiocese of Denver. He is currently assigned to a small mountain community outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. Tom receives many requests for copies of his homilies -- and many recent homilies and experiential reflections are found on his website: www.deacontomonline.com. Tom would love to hear from you and will try to answer any questions or sharing that you send in.

 

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