A Letter From Mom (Even Though I am no Longer With You)

I remember the first Mother's Day after my mom has passed. There was an entire holiday I felt I could not participate in anymore, an entire wall at Hallmark was no longer for me. Never again would I find her the perfect card to describe how I felt. This letter is part of a series of letters I have called "Dear Daughter". They are written to my daughters, and I have been sharing them with you from time to time. This one is written for them to read once I am gone, but actually I wrote it partly for myself from my own mom. I hope it helps your aching heart as you grieve a mom who isn't there this Mother's Day weekend.

Dear Daughter,

What I want you to know is that my love for you has no end.

From the moment I knew you were forming inside me I loved you.

I had a secret the world couldn’t see.

I treasured those moments when I carried you 

hidden away

 from harshness of this world.

It was just you and I.

The day I finally got to hold you was like no day ever before.

I had never seen a “you” before!

I saw your eyes and you looked at me.

Your tiny lips were pursed just right;

I couldn’t help but to kiss them.

I had plans and dreams with you;

Some of those plans worked out, other did not.

It wasn’t always easy though,

We haven’t always seen eye to eye;

But nothing will ever change how much I love you and treasure you.

Time passes, dear daughter, 

and as you know,

I will not always be able to walk beside you.

I will not always be close by, or even a phone call away.

You may not see me anymore,

But you need to know...

Just because you cannot see me does not mean I have forgotten you.

From the quiet moments of us the first night I brought you home,

To the moments leading up to my last breath,

Every one of those is embedded deeply into my memory bank,

a bank rich in thoughts of you.

Rest assured darling, you are still on my mind.

But there’s more you still need to know...

However we left each other, whatever words were spoken,

If it was needed, 

I have forgiven you.

You are my daughter and I your mother, 

That is bond that always offers forgiveness.

Rest peacefully knowing I do not carry that hurt with me anymore.

I love you.

Until we meet again,

Love you always and forever,

Mom.

photo credit: Nikola Radojcic @ Unsplash 

Dearest Daughter, Have the Joy of the Lord

This letter is part of series of letters I have written to my daughters. Please read them as though they were for your daughter, or from your mom. There is a downloadable letter at the end of the post that you may print and share with your loved ones.

Dearest Daughter,

What I want you know is that you possess something the world cannot attain-

deep down 

JOY.

People everywhere want to offer up love to one another,

but the problem is,

when you scratch beyond the surface of their love you will find

hostility, sadness, and fear.

I plead with you to guard yourself from these emotions.

Do not conform to this way of thinking. 

Let your love run deeper.

I pray that below your surface is the joy that only God can give.

Your joy is something that comes from knowing who you are,

and you are,

the daughter of King,

safely bound to him for all eternity.

This world needs your joy, this world needs God’s joy.

You must know with all your heart 

that Satan can crush your body,

but he can

never

crush 

your spirit.

Because of that, you can laugh freely without fear of tomorrow.

You can dance in the midst of your pain knowing it is temporary.

You can sing a joyful song to the Lord of lords and King of kings.

You are his, and he is yours.

My child, hold this tightly.

The freedom you possess while laughing, 

the smile you do not hesitate to reveal 

will be a beacon of light in the dead and despairing world.

They will notice and want what you have.

Let that joy etch itself across your face as you grow.

This world needs to see something they have yet to see.

Joy unspeakable.

Walk confidently my daughter,

laugh in the face of adversity,

and let the joy of the Lord be your strength.

Love,

Mom

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:3-9

Top photo by Bahaa A. Shawqi from Pexels