Graduation and the School of Motherhood

Maria V. Gallagher explores the lesson of graduation in the school of motherhood.

My baby girl graduated from college, and as I write that sentence, I am still in some disbelief.

Wasn’t it just a few moments ago that I cradled her in my arms and nursed her for the first time?

It seems like mere seconds since I heard her babbling in her crib — a sound so joyful it lifted my spirits to the heavens.

And it feels like a fortnight since she hopped aboard a carousel and waved to me, eager to take part in her first big-girl adventure.

I have to remind myself that my golden-haired girl is now a strikingly beautiful woman with a life of her own. I wish, looking back, that I had been able to savor the sweetness of every single moment of her childhood. At the time, it seemed like we were involved in a horserace, galloping toward the finish line. We were in so much of a rush to get to dance class and day care, there never seemed to be a spare moment to just breathe in the beauty of the moment.

I have learned in the years since that joy — and God — can be found in the present moment. He waits there patiently for me. Yet all too often I look past Him toward the future — or behind Him to a past that can never be changed.

Perhaps you can relate. Whether you are a new mom adjusting to middle-of-the-night feedings, or an Empty Nester trying to take in the quiet of a house devoid of youngsters, I invite you to appreciate the present.

I know from experience that far too much time is wasted bemoaning the mistakes of the past. While it is certainly good to learn from pitfalls, it can be so counterproductive to dwell on them. Indeed, I often find that the hardest person to forgive — by far — is my very self.

I think of the past now as a hope chest. I can open it on occasion to peruse the artifacts there, but it is the ultimate time-waster to try to reorganize it. I appreciate the sweet memories, toss out the hurtful ones, and place a little mental lock on it. I have found healing and strength for the journey in leaving the hope chest of the past behind.

Frequently my mental ventures into the future were like the scariest rollercoaster rides. All my worries flew before me, obscuring my vision. I simply could not look past the various future predicaments I envisioned in my mind.

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I lay my worries before the feet of the Blessed Mother, knowing that she loves me as if I were her only daughter. #catholicmom

And so now, I lay my worries before the feet of the Blessed Mother, knowing that she loves me as if I were her only daughter. If she could care for the Savior of the universe, certainly she can attend to my concerns.

With feet planted firmly in the present moment, I can meet God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit and Mother Mary with confidence and peace. I wish the same for you, wherever you are on your motherhood journey.

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