My Mom’s Gift, What is Really Important

I had another topic in mind to get my Blog up and running again in the first days of 2011.Then my 88 year old mom ended up in the hospital and I decided to write about that experience instead. My mother has such incredible faith, strength and fortitiude that I was humbled just being with her in the hospital. She had a goal in mind. That being to get out of the hospital and to get home. Her mind-body and spirit were focused on that singular outcome. However the spiritual gift she was about to bestow on me was huge. As she sat up in bed I rubbed her back she said, “oh that feels good” I told her I loved her and admired her.

She had raised 9 children and put one child to eternal rest, her dear daughter Regina. She did her best to raise us in spite of the fact that my dad could not hold a job and that he suffered with alcoholism. As I watched her sleep thoughts and feelings about the deep faith she must have had in God flooded my being. I t took faith to get through the ordeal of trying to feed us, being evicted from 9 dwellings for not paying the rent, trying to control, the best she knew how, the threat of violence that existed in our home. I had this sense of what God really wants us to learn with this earthly experience in the most profound manner possible. I felt this comforting spirit overcome my being, this peaceful state of stillness and inner quite.

My mother was conducting a church service for me while I sat with her watching her sleep. Through this seemingly negative situation, of her being in the hospital, the Holy Spirit was paying a visit to the inner workings of my soul. A message penetrating the trival nature of my mundane thoughts about my life and what I am facing. The only altar my mom needed for this church service was the hospital bed and the comfort of her own nightwear that my sister brought her from home. My pew for the service was a rather uncomfortable chair, well from what I remember of church pews, I guess the chair was soft as a pillow. As she delivered her silent sermom, her gift was recieved by my being, my heart, my soul my spirtual center. I felt an angelic voice ask me “What is really important Kevin? Is what troubles you really worth the time you are giving it? Does it take away energy away from what you are here on earth to do, to use your God given gifts to provide inspiration for others? Do you really think all of this wordly stuff is truly hard?” I felt this shiver run down my spine as I recieved the following message ” Here lies your mother, a testimony to What is Really Important” Here in this singular moment with my mom, as she slept, a peace came over me. Church was over as she opened her eyes and smiled at her me,her oldest son,and closed her eyes again.

I was then joined by my brothers Brian and Dennis, “the older boys” as we are refered to,there are 3 “younger boys” also. The church lesson had been recieved, in this singular moment my mothers work of making sure we understood that our love for each other is What is Really Important. The comfort I felt while the three of us talked and laughed together is hard to describe. It occured to me that mom’s hospital stay was orchestrated by the heavens. I needed to attend church with mom and my two brothers to drive home the spirtual lesson of What is Really Important. When mom awoke and sat up my brother Brian asked her, “Mom, what is is like to have your three oldest son’s with you” She responded with a smile “It is like heaven”

In life Our Spiritual Relationships each other is What is Really Important. Each and every interaction and situation with others that we find ourselves in is an opportuntiy to grow in our own spirituality.The only reason, on this level of being, that we have interactions is the opportunity to grow in our own spirituality.Thanks for the gift Mom, I love you.