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<blockquote data-quote="Copabanana" data-source="post: 760528" data-attributes="member: 18958"><p>I found another quote in today's NY Times, I think, or maybe the Washington Post, I'm not sure. The article was about the Covid-orphans in India. While there is help for them now, the fear is that in time they will be forgotten and preyed upon. The quote is from a 14-year-old who is caring for her many orphaned siblings, following the death of her mother.</p><p></p><p>“My mother kept us safe like an umbrella does, from the heat and rain of life,” said Sonali, holding back tears. “I imagine her being close to me. That’s what keeps me going.”</p><p></p><p>What can I say? This is what we hope for our children. Not only that we can protect them from the storms of life. But that <strong><em>the memory of our love within them</em></strong>, can center them for as long as they live, with the certainty that they are able to protect and shield <em><strong>themselves</strong></em> in the inevitable storms of life.</p><p></p><p>And what is unsaid here is that we deserve this too. A sense of inviolability. That we can shield and will shield and protect ourselves,, is the mother's birthright too. Even from our own children, if that be the case. That we need to find this invisible, ever-present umbrella, to find emotional shelter, respite, and actual protection when life turns difficult. <em><strong>From our own sons if need be.</strong></em></p><p></p><p>When our own children become the peril--the heat and rain--it feels impossibly difficult, to protect oneself from the very person we most seek to support. But this is our task.</p><p></p><p>we can no longer be the umbrella, by defending, enclosing, them, but we can be that for ourselves and in an indirect way, for them too. Mother-love is a real thing. An idea that can be real.</p><p></p><p>We are called upon to draw the line to anything that creates conflict, division, pain, default, disrespect, dissonance. For us and for them. This becomes our new iteration of mother-love. Generosity and self-sacrifice become hopefulness, goodwill, humility, grace, surrender to reality, in the face of NOTHING AT ALL that would speak to hope. That we, they and us, can grow the umbrella in our centers.</p><p></p><p>I believe we are called upon to be whole, in the face of brokenness. Our own, and theirs.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Copabanana, post: 760528, member: 18958"] I found another quote in today's NY Times, I think, or maybe the Washington Post, I'm not sure. The article was about the Covid-orphans in India. While there is help for them now, the fear is that in time they will be forgotten and preyed upon. The quote is from a 14-year-old who is caring for her many orphaned siblings, following the death of her mother. “My mother kept us safe like an umbrella does, from the heat and rain of life,” said Sonali, holding back tears. “I imagine her being close to me. That’s what keeps me going.” What can I say? This is what we hope for our children. Not only that we can protect them from the storms of life. But that [B][I]the memory of our love within them[/I][/B], can center them for as long as they live, with the certainty that they are able to protect and shield [I][B]themselves[/B][/I] in the inevitable storms of life. And what is unsaid here is that we deserve this too. A sense of inviolability. That we can shield and will shield and protect ourselves,, is the mother's birthright too. Even from our own children, if that be the case. That we need to find this invisible, ever-present umbrella, to find emotional shelter, respite, and actual protection when life turns difficult. [I][B]From our own sons if need be.[/B][/I] When our own children become the peril--the heat and rain--it feels impossibly difficult, to protect oneself from the very person we most seek to support. But this is our task. we can no longer be the umbrella, by defending, enclosing, them, but we can be that for ourselves and in an indirect way, for them too. Mother-love is a real thing. An idea that can be real. We are called upon to draw the line to anything that creates conflict, division, pain, default, disrespect, dissonance. For us and for them. This becomes our new iteration of mother-love. Generosity and self-sacrifice become hopefulness, goodwill, humility, grace, surrender to reality, in the face of NOTHING AT ALL that would speak to hope. That we, they and us, can grow the umbrella in our centers. I believe we are called upon to be whole, in the face of brokenness. Our own, and theirs. [/QUOTE]
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