A mother knows

“Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” John 2:4
My mother came and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us this year. Since my birthday falls on Christmas Eve, it was nice to have my mother here with us. She regaled my daughters with stories about the day I was born, on Christmas Eve in San Diego while my father was serving as Chaplain. He had six ships to visit for services. My grown daughters laugh and kid me and sometimes tease my mother who is prone to repeat her stories over and over. But they are also kind and attentive to their grandmother, tenderly caring for her and helping her around as needed.

The one thing about being a mother that doesn't change with age - either mine or the age of my children -is a deep understanding of the child who came from us. I can tell when my daughters are happy or sad, hurting or hiding, frightened or ashamed. The intimacy we shared in the first stages of life some how permeates even to this day. It is so with me and my mother, even though I sometimes wish it were not so. She gets me even when I don't get myself. And so it was with the mother of Jesus who prompted the first miracle in Cana. He didn't want to do it and was rather rude to his mother. But he also knew that she knew his capacity before he did - she was his mother and those early connections from the first stages of life when they shared a heart and their bodies were connected completely.

Today, I want to give thanks for my mother, for all mothers and others who are willing to be intimately connected to us. They know us and are willing to encourage us when we cannot see our potential for ourselves. I also pray that I can be a tender mother with my grown daughter, encouraging them and fostering a positive sense of self despite the challenges they face. May we all be those who encourage and nurture the young in our lives. And may God use us to make miracles of love happen in the lives of those who count on us every day.