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The Best Job in the World

by Vidya Sury May 11, 2014 19 comments

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.

That is the quote I wrote every year when I presented my Mom with my โ€œHappy Mothers Dayโ€ card.

She often said that being a Mother was the best job in the world. As usual, she was right, even if I didnโ€™t always agree with her as I grew up.ย  Sometimes I wondered how she put up with me. When I asked her, sheโ€™d hug me, squeeze me and say I was the best daughter in the world.

When I became a Mom at 34, I began to understand what she meant. It is all about unconditional love. Children donโ€™t care how their Moms look or smell, because they think their Moms are the most beautiful women in the world, even when they are sweating in the kitchen and are bad-tempered. Just as I watched my Mom and learned, my son watched me and learned, making me conscious about being a better human being, so I might set half as good an example as my Mom did for me.

โ€œWhen you were small and just a touch away, I covered you with blankets against the cold night air. But now that you are tall and out of reach, I fold my hands and cover you with prayer.โ€

Iย  fondly remember, when he was a first grader, their teacher asked them to say a few words about โ€œMy Motherโ€ and he said, โ€œMy Mother is very kind. She loves me. She never scolds me in front of anyone. She always talks to me nicely. She laughs a lot and I love her. She is my friendโ€.ย  My heart burst with happiness when his teacher told me. So I can be tough on occasion, but I secretly pledged that I would never scold him or make him feel bad in the presence of others. It has made a big difference to his self-esteem and is just one of the things that makes our relationship so precious.

The most important things Iโ€™ve learned from my own Mom โ€“ communication, listening, empathy, humor and being flexible โ€“ help tackle any situation.ย  Nobodyโ€™s perfect โ€“ and in fact, nobody has to be. Being realistic with expectations can eliminate a lot of rough spots.ย  Sometimes, when expectations are reasonable, thereโ€™s no harm in living up to them, is there?

Mmmm. This is the fifth Motherโ€™s Day without my Mom. But I know she lives in me and I am filled with gratitude for all that she has been to me.

โ€œA mother understands what a child does not say.โ€ย  even when her child is a chatterbox

Hereโ€™s a lovely poem Iโ€™d like to share with you โ€“ take time to smell the flowers!

Handwriting On The Wall

Unknown

A weary mother returned from the store,
Lugging groceries through the kitchen door.
Awaiting her arrival was her 8 year old son,
Anxious to relate what his younger brother had done.

While I was out playing and Dad was on a call,
T.J. took his crayons and wrote on the wall
Itโ€™s on the new paper you just hung in the den.
I told him youโ€™d be mad at having to do it again.

She let out a moan and furrowed her brow,
Where is your little brother right now?
She emptied her arms and with a purposeful stride,
She marched to his closet where he had gone to hide.

She called his full name as she entered his room.
He trembled with fearโ€“he knew that meant doom
For the next ten minutes, she ranted and raved
About the expensive wallpaper and how she had saved.

Lamenting all the work it would take to repair,
She condemned his actions and total lack of care.
The more she scolded, the madder she got,
Then stomped from his room, totally distraught.

She headed for the den to confirm her fears.
When she saw the wall, her eyes flooded with tears.
The message she read pierced her soul with a dart.
It said, I love Mommy, surrounded by a heart.

Well, the wallpaper remained, just as she found it,
With an empty picture frame hung to surround it.
A reminder to her, and indeed to all,
Take time to read the handwriting on the wall.

โ™ฅ

Happy Mothers Day to you!

Hereโ€™s a lovely video of Magnificent Motherโ€™s Day quotes you โ€˜ll love โ€“ it is on Danny Brownโ€™s blog

And because it is Sunday today, I am linking up with Unknown Mami, the gorgeous Mami who hosts Sundays In My City.

Let me take you down the lane opposite my apartment complex โ€“ at the end of which is a shop where I buy dairy. This gorgeous lane has beautiful trees.

Happy Mothers Day Vidya Sury

This tree is just outside the shop.

Happy Mothers Day Vidya Sury

There is a shop that has rabbits in its yard. Sweet fellas. Forever eating cucumbers.

Happy Mothers Day Vidya Sury

Now, up to my terrace where I walk โ€“ this pigeon hangs around โ€“ and gives us company

Happy Mothers Day Vidya Sury

And? In case you wondered about the painting โ€“ it is still a work in progress. See the dude doing his thang.

Happy Mothers Day Vidya Sury

Happy Mothers Day!

โ€œAs we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.โ€ ~ Marianne Williamson

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19 comments

Nibha May 12, 2014 at 12:21 am

Lovely and sweet post on Mother’s Day…

Happy Mother’s Day to you! ๐Ÿ™‚
Nibha recently posted…The Sunday Scroll #5 โ€“ Motherโ€™s Day Special

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Beloo Mehra May 12, 2014 at 7:52 am

A heart-warming post on Mother’s day, Vidya. And what a beautiful poem…and a great reminder – to read handwriting on the wall. Thanks for sharing this. Lovely indeed.
Hope you had a wonderful Mother’s day.
Beloo Mehra recently posted…That Fragrant Beauty

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Vinodini Iyer May 12, 2014 at 8:03 am

What an endearing post Vidya?! I particularly loved:
โ€œWhen you were small and just a touch away, I covered you with blankets against the cold night air. But now that you are tall and out of reach, I fold my hands and cover you with prayer.โ€
Truly touched my heart..
Vinodini Iyer recently posted…Does your age decide what you wear?

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Laurel Regan May 12, 2014 at 10:08 am

Oh! That poem made me weepy – I didn’t see that coming! Thanks for sharing these lovely memories.
Laurel Regan recently posted…Review & Giveaway: Date Ideas from Datevitation

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Sreeja Praveen May 12, 2014 at 10:51 am

Vidya,

A Happy Mi’s Day to you ๐Ÿ™‚
I just can’t explain what this post, and the poem inside it, did to me.
It’s much beyond words. Yes, we learn from our moms, so it is not surprising that, when I now do things which my mom used to do (and I used to complain about them back then), I find myself thinking how much of her
mirror image I’ve become ๐Ÿ™‚
And now the little lady at my home, mimics the ‘Pears Ad’ for me, ” amma sunnari” ( she can’t say ‘sundari’ yet) ๐Ÿ˜›

Love, Hugsss n cheers, dear ๐Ÿ™‚
Sreeja Praveen recently posted…Truth, as it is !

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Shilpa Garg May 12, 2014 at 10:54 am

So heartwarming and so beautiful. Thanks for sharing some lovely memories and words of wisdom from your mother! Loved that poem and the clicks too! The painting work is still continuing!?! ๐Ÿ™‚
Shilpa Garg recently posted…The Truth

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Bikram May 12, 2014 at 3:25 pm

That is so heartwarming.. Happy mothers day ..

loved the rabbits , I use to have them in my house in india ..

Those are wise words .. loved the poem handwriting on the wall ..

Bikram
Bikram recently posted…Of escalators and Shopping

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Corinne Rodrigues May 12, 2014 at 6:34 pm

Happy Mother’s Day all year through! What a lovely poem. It can apply to so many relationships, no?
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted…Mum’s The Word And Anything Goes on Sunday!

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KP May 12, 2014 at 6:50 pm

I am at a loss for words when I wish to comment as nicely as you write.All of us have mothers each with their own admirable qualities but most of us cannot bring out the special bond we have with our mothers as magically as you do.You embellish your posts with apt quotes and pictures making reading a pleasure.
The poem at the end is touching however many times we read it.Thank you.
KP recently posted…The kind heart

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Eli May 12, 2014 at 7:32 pm

So beautifully written Vidya.. Unconditional love – that’s what it is all about:-)Lovely poem – very moving..:-)
Eli recently posted…Food walking in Dadar

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Pheno Menon May 12, 2014 at 8:03 pm

Happy Mothers day to you too !

PhenoMenon

Pheno Menon recently posted…Mother

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Jayanta Tewari May 12, 2014 at 11:17 pm

Happy Mother’s day to all the moms. Vidya, what a wonderful homage and tribute to your mom along with all the others…That poem is oozing out unconditional love in each line…Thanks for sharing.
Jayanta Tewari recently posted…No Qualms

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Birgit May 13, 2014 at 12:18 am

What a beautiful way to honour all the moms. I love the poem and knowing my mom, she would have said that is sweet and please write it on a paper…and then she would have had me clean it off the wall paper:). Love the rabbits and the tree is beautiful-love the look of it
Birgit recently posted…For You, Alex!

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Claudya May 13, 2014 at 1:35 am

I knew your post would make me cry even before I read it and I was right. You are a wise and wonderful woman. I love that you learn and share lessons from both your mother and son.

Those bunnies are too cute.

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Vishnu May 13, 2014 at 9:42 am

love the cucumber eating rabbits and this dedication to all the Mom’s out there.

hope you had a great Mother’s Day, Vidya.

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Carol Graham May 13, 2014 at 11:10 am

Loved the way you described your relationship with your mom and loved the poem – well done as always

Carol @ Battered Hope
Carol Graham recently posted…Mother’s Day Pity Party

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Cathy Taughinbaugh May 13, 2014 at 8:21 pm

Happy Mother’s Day Vidya. Lovely message to all moms about what is really important. I love seeing your pictures. It is hard to let go of our moms, but I’m glad that you have such fond memories of yours. That is something that will always be with you.
Cathy Taughinbaugh recently posted…How Peace Can Be Found From Within

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My Inner Chick May 14, 2014 at 4:13 am

b e a u t i f u l.

I love when you talk about your mama, Vidya.

Happy Mom’s Day.

It is every single day.

Love you more than fluffy clouds outside my writing room. xxxxxx
My Inner Chick recently posted…8 Ways To Kick Domestic Violence Ass ( before itโ€™s too late)

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Christopher James May 16, 2014 at 7:02 pm

What a sweet post for all wonderful mums like you.

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