Sometimes being a mom feels like I’m in the middle of an epic and mysterious novel. The plot is long and winding, and I’m not quite sure how the whole thing will end. As one of the co-authors of this story, though, I’ve got a pretty good feeling that all the characters in this book called “life” will end up pretty okay.
Thanks to an unforgettable Reader’s Digest article, I recently stumbled upon a series of touching stories about moms that will inspire you to hang in there, despite the many ups and downs of these riveting stories we share with our children, family, and friends.
What follows are just some of the stories their readers shared involving their moms. In 100 words or less, readers from all around the world told their “poignant tales of the bond between mother and child.”
I hope these 7 short – but oh so sweet – tales warm your heart like they did mine:
MOTHER OF ROCK
by Paul Anderson, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
For my brother, my sister, and me, Guitar Hero was a competition of who could score the most points on the hardest level. Mom, on the other hand, would play the ten-minute “Freebird” on the easiest level while we kids prepared for our next showdown. When Mom restarted the song after missing a note, we all shouted our disapproval. “Rock stars do what they want,” she said, and we laughed because we agreed: Mom was a rock star. That’s why, later, her funeral felt more like the last stop on a farewell tour, with “Freebird” as the perfect send-off.
TWO SIMPLE WORDS
by Abigail Wortman, West Long Branch, New Jersey
On the first day of first grade, I stood by the front door with butterflies in my stomach. I voiced my biggest concern to my mother: “How will I make friends?” Crouching in front of me, she handed me advice I carry with me to this day: “Be Switzerland.” Be friends with everyone. Treat everyone equally and fairly. For all of my 20 years, I have lived by these words. Soon I will graduate and become a part of the real world. And on that first day, nervously facing new responsibilities, I know I will whisper two words to myself: “Be Switzerland.”
THE NEED NEVER GOES AWAY
by Saman Rahman, Peshawar, Pakistan
“Mommy, you are a fairy,” I said. My mother laughed like tinkling bells. “I am serious, Mother. You know everything.” “My child, I try to answer as best as I can. When you grow older, you will not need me,” she said. “No, Mom, I will always need you. Nothing can change that,” I said. Her words echo in my heart as I look at the blue sky: “Dear daughter, nothing remains the same except the vast blue sky.” It has been ten years since I lost my fairy. Mom, you were wrong about one thing: I still need you.
MEMORIES IN VERSE
by Pat Witty, Fairmont, Minnesota
The day I was dreading had arrived—it was inevitable. I had seen it coming but had chosen to ignore it for as long as possible. My very capable, intelligent mom had started forgetting to pay her bills, and it was time to take over her finances. As I looked through her wallet, I made a remarkable discovery. Tucked away in a tiny compartment were four Mother’s Day poems I’d written for her in the 1960s. She had saved and cherished those simple gifts for 50 years. What a happy surprise!
MIGHT AS WELL FACE IT…
by Beth Kailukaitis, Kalamazoo Township, Michigan
Coming home from work one day, I found my mom dancing to Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love.” I watched, enthralled, as she moved and sang along, her hips twisting to the beat, big smile plastered on her face. It had been a long while since I’d seen her dance, so this display of pure joy was infectious. She died unexpectedly in her sleep a few weeks later. I have many memories of her that I’ll always cherish, but none quite as happy and carefree as her dance that day. It’s definitely the simple things—thanks, Robert Palmer!
PAY IT FORWARD
by Teresa Martin, North Aurora, Illinois
You reap what you sow: In her old country, my mom saw a very poor blind woman with her young daughter. She felt sorry for them and loaned them all her savings. Although Mom was worried sick about it, they miraculously returned every cent. Two decades later, when Mom left her Communist country and came to America as a refugee, the Catholic Church gave her money to feed her many children. She returned them every single cent, and her children continued to pay back through worldwide charities. Mom is now 90 years old and has a richly blessed life.
A STAND-UP WOMAN
by Robin Hynes, Slingerland, New York
My mom had a great sense of humor and a knack for making everything fun. One thing that resonated with me, even as a small child, was how much she seemed to enjoy her own company and found ways to entertain herself. As a kid, I remember her giggling while paying bills. What was so funny about bill paying? She would put humorous notes in the reference section of the check: For the electric bill, she might put “You light up my life,” and for the mortgage she’d write “Four shingles closer to owning it all.”
The Music Mom: Eileen Carey 