Today I wish to write about love. In fact, this is a love letter to my daughters. From the moment that I became a mother, I began to learn about the truest, strongest, and forever kind of love that is not bound by time or space or distance. Maternal love is stronger than anything we know. Once established, it cannot be broken or taken from us. It persists in spite of all transgressions and withstands all adversity.
I am grateful every day for the safe homebirths that brought my daughters into my life, straight into my arms. The bonding that occurred in those first sacred hours of their lives, with me and with their father, has given them the strength to face numerous challenges. That bond is as strong today as it was then. Like so many avian species, my daughters were pushed from the nest when it was time for them to embark on their own journeys. If you observe swans in the wild, the bond created with their offspring persists throughout their lives, whenever they reunite for short periods. The heartfelt recognition can be seen in their greeting. My daughters and I have been separated by long distances and long stretches of time, for much of their adult lives. Still, when we come back together, it is like we have never been apart. The love seems to grow stronger in spite of the intervals.
The current pandemic and implementation of social distancing has imposed further physical alienation from my daughters. My youngest daughter is stuck in Texas, waiting for the travel ban to be lifted, after which her deployment to Afghanistan will resume. My other two daughters are in Colorado and I am currently isolated in a desolate area of Wyoming. None of us knows for sure how long this pandemic will last. We do not know if it will get worse before it gets better. The possibility exists, that I may never be with my daughter’s again. I choose to believe that it is a slim possibility, but any one of our lives could end never the less, before I can once again hug them and tell them how much I love them. We talk on the phone and text and message regularly; but I want to take this moment, this day, to dedicate this blog to them. Today I want my daughters to know that they are beautiful and amazing and I am so grateful for having had the privilege of being their mother. Rachelle, Rebecca, Andrea – I LOVE YOU.
