I am my Mother's Garden
Dr. Pfister and his mother, Molly, stand in one of the homes where Dr. Pfister grew up (Marathon Shores, FL) after it had been struck by a hurricane.
As we travel down the pathway of life, never knowing what is around the next bend, we encounter quiet periods of self-reflection.
During these times, many of us think back on the important people in our lives. Those who have helped us get to where we are and whom we owe a debt of gratitude. Yes, the teachers, the mentors, priests, even consultants... there are many that we owe for helping us to understand ourselves and creating the drive within us to be the best we can be while on earth.
But the most important person in my growth and development - and I’m sure many of you will share my sentiments - is my dearest mom! The person who nurtured me at birth, taught me my colors and ABCs, how to share and how to drive. Most important I think, mom taught me what it means to love. The unmistakable, unshakeable, eternal love of a mother, even when the bumps in life seem insurmountable and unfair, as when my dad died when I was 15. Mom was there for my brother, sister, and me. We made it through, earned diplomas, and started careers… with mom as our greatest cheerleader and confidant.
Many of you have similar stories. And that is why this Mother’s Day weekend is so special as we get to celebrate and thank the moms of the world. We need to thank mom for her patience, her guidance, humor, and most of all… her love. A mother’s love is the personification of true unselfish giving and warmth, shared in an inexhaustive supply of hugs and kisses.
As I’ve spent the last few decades working with young people, it has usually been with a mom at my side coaching, correcting, and helping me create her baby’s best smile. Moms take a genuine interest in everything their children do - they all do it in their own ways - but the common thread is genuine love.
So this weekend, let’s celebrate Mother’s Day with all the exuberance and love mom deserves… with maybe a touch of social distancing to help keep her around a little longer!
I’d like to close with a poem I discovered on Pinterest:
My Mother kept a garden
A garden of the heart
She planted all the good things
That gave my life its start.
She turned me to the sunshine
And encouraged me to dream
Fostering and nurturing
The seeds of self-esteem…
Her constant good example
Always taught me right from wrong-
Markers for my pathway
That will last a lifetime long.
I am my Mother’s garden.
I am her legacy-
And I hope today she feels the love
Reflected back from me.
(Author Unknown)
As you celebrate this Mother’s Day, remember that you are your mother’s garden, and the biggest gift you can give her is to reflect back the love that she always gave to you.
- Dr. P