Happy Mother’s Day 2020

I’m not a mother so I’ll never know the bond between a mother and her child.  Have I lost out on something?  Probably so.  Yet just as God has chosen these women to be mothers,  I truly believe God has chosen me, and many women,  not to be mothers.   If I truly believe that God’s plan is Divine and was prepared for me before I was born, then I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.  Not all of us are destined to be married, to have children, to have 9-5 jobs, etc.  God is creative and perfect in His assortment of “characters”; we’re all here equally to fulfill His perfect plan.

Today my husband and I visited my dad and mom at their cemetery.  They are in separate cemeteries.  Notwithstanding today is Mother’s Day,  I  wanted to pay my respects to my dad.  Each time I visit him, I see my mortality engraved on his tombstone.  You see, when my dad died in the summer of 2009,  I decided to be buried with him . . .  share the space and keep the old man company.    As such, when it came time to order my dad’s tombstone, I was choosing my own too because both of our names will be on one stone.  From now on end, when I visit my dad’s tombstone, I’ll see my name engraved on it.  It was a surreal moment as I turned the pages of the tombstone catalog.  It was my first time looking through one.  I didn’t even know these catalogs existed.   The catalog showed various designs, add-ons, calligraphy, psalms, etc.  I was thinking, “At this stage in my life, I should be looking at swatches for a new sofa, not choosing my tombstone. This is insane.”  But I guess I’m where I’m supposed to be, right?   The catalog gave you choices — praying hands, a cross, a bible, a tree, etc.  along with the standard epigraphs.  “Can I have it engraved, ‘I still rock’?  Maybe have a little musical symbol in the corner there?”  I asked.  The Catholic cemetery would not allow it.   Disappointed, I continued to look through the catalog until I found something that I loved.    A beaded rosary!  “Can any of these beads be engraved into chevrons or have a floral design put on them?”  That too was a no.   But hey, at least I got to “design” my tombstone (and I think my dad would’ve been happy with it too, especially since he had a great devotion to Our Lady of Fatima.)  Today I was reminded that I am surrounded by beads . . .  and the choice of a rosary was a perfect fit,  just as God’s plan always is.        Happy Mother’s Day!