Mama Said

My mother is no longer, but I see her every day. I had the artist Samama paint her and it hangs in our home above the china closet that once was her pride and joy. My mother is never far from my thoughts, as she was the conscience for me and for all of her family. As we approach Mother’s Day, her voice returns again, “Don’t worry, it will be all right.” Ever the optimist, Jewish to the core, I know how lucky I was to have such a mother. For these reasons and so many more, I offer some thoughts on mothers worth repeating.

What Society Says About Mothers
“God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” —Rudyard Kipling, English author

“A mother is the most precious possession of the nation, so precious that society advances its highest well-being when it protects the functions of the mother. ” – Ellen Key, Swedish feminist writer

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“There was never a great man who had not a great mother.” – Olive Schreiner, South African author

“A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to making leaning unnecessary.” – Dorothy Canfield Fisher, American education reformer and social activist.

“A mother’s love is everything. It is what brings a child into this world. It is what molds their entire being. When a mother sees her child in danger, she is literally capable of anything. Mothers have lifted cars off of their children and destroyed entire dynasties. A mother’s love is the strongest energy known to man.” —Jamie McGuire, American novelist

“When your mother asks, ‘Do you want a piece of advice?’ it’s a mere formality. It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no. You’re going to get it anyway.” —Erma Bombeck, American columnist

“Mothers are like glue. Even when you can’t see them, they’re still holding the family together.” — Susan Gale, American author.

“A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.” – Princess Diana

What a Husband Should Say or Do for His Wife
Follow Rabbi Akiva’s advice by seeing your wife’s deeds as being beautiful. If a woman is beautiful in the eyes of her husband, he is fortunate for his days are doubled, and he will feel rich and grateful, according to the Talmud. Also, the Talmud says that a husband should love his wife as dearly as he loves himself, and respect her even more than he respects himself. He should honor his wife more than himself, for she is the glue that holds the family together.

“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” —Theodore Hesburgh, priest and president of the University of Notre Dame.

What Children Say About Their Mother
“My mother was my role model before I knew what the word was.” —Lisa Leslie, former American basketball star

“When you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.” —Mitch Albom, American sportscaster and author

“Acceptance, tolerance, bravery, compassion. These are the things my mom taught me.” —Lady Gaga

“My mother, my foundation. She planted the seed that I base my life on, and that is the belief that the ability to achieve starts in your mind.” —Michael Jordan

“My mother’s love has always been a sustaining force for our family, and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassion, her intelligence reflected in my daughters.” —Michelle Obama.

What Mothers Say About Themselves
“When people inquire, I always just state, I have four nice children and hope to have eight.” —Aline Murray Kilmer, American poet

“Of course, everybody knows that the greatest thing about Motherhood is the “Sacrifices,” but it is quite a shock to find out that they begin so far ahead of time.” —Anita Loos, American screenwriter.

Bottom line: “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy.”