Mother

I have been thinking about the word mother lately, especially since Mother's Day was just a few weeks ago. There was a song I sang when I was young about Mother:

"M" is for the million things she gave me
"O" means only that she's growing old
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me
"H" is for her heart of purest gold
"E" is for her eyes with love-light shining
"R" means right and right she'll always be
Put them all together they spell MOTHER,a word that means the world to me.

This song was written by a Howard Johnson in 1915 and is only one of the verses. I don't necessarily agreed with all the words in the verse above but it is an expression of one man's devotion to his mother.

We do love and appreciate our mothers who are selfless, nurturing and protective. They are our first impression of love we feel as they hold us close, feed us, sing to us, touch us, their tenderness convinces us of the goodness and rightness of life. They love us with an everlasting and unconditional love.

Mothers have been honored for years and yet there are others who deserve the honor of mothering. We all know women, some who do not have children of their own, that give sacrificially, out of love, to children and continue as those children grow into adulthood. These women, like mothers, are God-given treasures to us.

I loved my own mother and mother-in-law, almost more than I can express, I thank God for mothers. It is God who established the family and created each of us to be male and female. He knew we would need mothers and fathers who bring their unique qualities and perspectives that mold us through our formative years.

As much as mothers are adored and praised, being a mother is more than enough.
Mothering is watching, giving, forgiving, loving, protecting, holding, rocking, feeding, healing, encouraging, teaching, listening, laughing, sorrowing, praying, doing, washing, cooking, cleaning, driving, cheering, styling, buying, advising, thanking and also crying. For me, mothering was and is humbling, that God would entrust me with the precious gift of a child to raise. I always had to remind myself that each one was only a temporary gift for each was his own person and I was there to guide and care for a little while until they were able to leave the nest. The nest is empty now and I am grateful for the many years of mothering and the memories and joys of those busy years.

So on this day and everyday, I am thankful to God for granting me the privilege of being a mother.



My sons, with the mothers of their children. Now, "Grandmother", that is another blog post.

Dancing Girl

Claire is all girl. She lives with her three brothers and yet maintains her femininity. She has definite ideas about how to dress and wear her hair. She enjoys pretty things and loves cooking shows. So it is fun to celebrate her when she performs in her annual dance recital. And it's a family affair.



Claire's brothers, mom and dad, Aunt Grancy, Grandma Emmie and grandpa and grandma all show up for her big night.





Claire is third from the left in the line up and is very energetic and having fun.


Cooper and Tucker who are almost 3 years old are captivated by the show,they along with their brother Hudson, express their love for their sister with a pretty bouquet.



So thanks Claire for a fun night of dance.

Celebrate

Don't you love birthdays? Parties and cake? Family and friends? Sweet!

I'm always amazed when a child celebrates a first birthday. The changes in that first year are astounding! A little bundle is born that sleeps and coos, nurses and poops within a year she is a walking, talking, waving smiling laughing, giggling one year old. I love it!
Natalie is into the party from the time the first balloon is hung.

She draws a crowd.
Friends arrive from Virginia and New Jersey.




And family, some from Minnesota.

Jack and Conley

Nana and Aunt Jamie

Uncle Steve and Aunt Di

Aunt Joy and Uncle Mike

Grandma and Grandpa
Of course there are other camera shy guests that gather around the birthday girl as she enjoys her birthday cake.

Natalie is a pretty ladylike cake eater, especially compared to her brother Jack at his first birthday in 2009.

And so the cake takes on the form for which it is known, a "smash cake."

A sweet celebration for a very sweet one year old. Happy Birthday Natalie!

Tokyo

It started out as a casual conversation. Seats, "wide open" on Chris' flight for his business trip to Japan. I told him, "I should go with you." At first I wasn't serious, too many appointments in the week ahead. Tom and Kim both encouraged me and I thought about spending time with Chris, such a rare opportunity once your son is married with a family. And of course, I am always curious about the world and how people live in different places. Well, it became a reality and it was well worth the time and loss of sleep.
We left on Monday at 2PM from Chicago, O'Hare and arrived at Narita, Japan on Tuesday, 4:30 PM. Literally time flies! Chris is consumed with work and I spend the next day touring Tokyo. The town has very few tourists since the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. The large Greyhound type bus had five tourists for the morning tour and two for the afternoon and this is the tourist season when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. I enjoyed the beautiful Japanese gardens.



I learned that 73% of Japanese are Buddhists and 84% are Shinto. This means that some adopt both religions. Usually beginnings are celebrated at the Shinto Shrine with birth and wedding ceremonies while illness and death involve Buddhists rituals.

This is a Shinto Shrine, the Meiji Shrine. Once you walk through the gate you become emotionally pure and before you approach the shrine you wash both hands and rinse your mouth at a well. Saki is also used to purify one's self as part of the cleansing process. The worshipers toss a coin into a money box, clap twice to summon the gods and pray then bow before they leave. There are no visible gods or statues at a Shinto Shrine.


These are Saki barrels.


A Shinto wedding has taken place, the wedding party is posing for a picture. The bride is in a traditional gown.
The first Buddhist Temple we visited had a cemetery where six shoguns are buried but the public is not allowed in that area.

On the side of this temple are many small statues of children. A family who has lost a child will dedicate a statue to the temple. They will decorate the statue. The family name is next to the statue.



I only took one picture on the river cruise. Both sides of the river have landscaped walkways.

The second Buddhist Temple is the oldest in Tokyo, Asakusa Kannon Temple.

Before the shrine is a shopping street that has been here for hundreds of years with small shops on each side. The colorful shops sell quality items of Japanese miniatures, paper, fans and many souvenirs. This walkway is usually so crowded it is hard to walk to the temple, but not today.
This next picture is of a large pot of incense thought to be the breath of Buddha. The people direct the smoke to an area on their body where they need help, some direct it to their heads so they will become smarter.

There are several buildings and gardens around this temple, one has many Buddhas, one for each symbol on the zodiac.




This was a wonderful day in the warm sunshine and our guide, Saudi Son is so knowledgeable and gracious. We shared a typical Japanese meal together and by the end of the day I felt like I was saying good-bye to a friend.

I did get time to browse the upscale shopping area but didn't buy a thing! So unlike me. I really enjoyed the short time I spent in Tokyo and found the Japanese people to be very respectful and kind. So before you know it, I'm back on the bus and heading to the airport. So thank you Chris, for this time together.