Momma is for me and my siblings a word of endearment for our mother.  There so many different names that people call their mothers; mum, mother, mommy, ma and the list goes on.

But it really is the character behind the name that we love so dearly.  And with it being close to mother’s day I thought I would express what my mother means to me.

A mother is someone who nurtures, loves unconditionally, inspires, motivates and so much more.  For most of us our mothers were our first friend in life.  After all our very life came from her.  She shared her body as a safe haven for us when we were yet born.  She fed us the nutrients that we needed to not only survive but to grow.  Some mothers sing to their babies while still inside which makes another strong connection to our closeness.

Still there are women that have never birthed a child from her womb that are called mother.  She is the one that took care of the children that some other mother didn’t know how to love.  Her natural instincts kicked in to show love, to nurture and to inspire a child that was not their own.  She is a rare gem in the world of motherless children.

There are others that we call mom, who are not our biological mothers.  They have taken the place for those who have lost their mothers in some way, shape of form.  It could be that they died during our youth, or they were lost in the world of addiction, or they could have given you up to adoption because they could not care for you.  Whatever the reason, these stand-in mothers are no way any less than your “real” mother.

During slavery, most of the house slaves (or at least some) were responsible for taking care of the children.  The master would choose one who had children herself so that she could continue to breastfeed the master’s baby along with her own.  Oh how sad it was to have raised a baby to adulthood to have them treat you like a second class citizen because of the times they were in.  Even though treated badly they still had love for those children that they nurtured.

My mother you see is a great lady.  Having suffered many hard times in her life she always loved and cared for us the best way she knew how.  After being raised in a time when women, particularly black women were treated so poorly, she never thought she was less.  Teased because of the color of dark skin, never held her back, it only pushed her forward.  For many years at the hand of my own father, she was abused physically and emotionally.  She never failed us.  When she had to raise us alone (all 6 of us) when my father passed away, she keep on moving forward.

I never forget her telling me the horrible stories of her life and I would cry to think that anyone could or would treat my mother so badly.  I can distinctively remember her telling about looking for a job right after my father had died.  She didn’t really have any skills, but she went to the interview for a secretary’s position anyway.  She got the job!  But she didn’t have a car and the company was more than a walk away, but she made it there every day catching rides to and from.  She worked there for over 30 years.  Her final position was Head Secretary to the Vice President of the company!  The only black woman in her time to reach such a high level.  Oh, most of her days she spent crying during her lunch break because they were so mean to her, but she stayed with it.  And God blessed her diligence!

My mother was always my best friend and still is.  At 76 she is still the wind beneath my wings.  I adore her for all that she did, for all she endured, and most of all for all she has taught me about life.  She is my biggest cheerleader and she is that for more than me and my siblings, she has lots of other children that she is a mother to.

It is a good time of year to tell your mother how wonderful you think she is.  For one day we will not have the opportunity.  Momma, I love you!

The Butterfly Journey ~ Lisa