Thursday, March 28, 2024 -
Print Edition

Honoring mothers, past and present

This Sunday, as Mother’s Day cards and good wishes proliferate, some of us will wake only to memory. For example, one of us had a mom who regularly mailed oversized t-shirts emblazoned with a smiling cat proclaiming “Happy Mother’s Day!” This mother understood.

The woman who never forgot to send those t-shirts died over five years ago. She is buried in another city, far from the here and now. Time progresses without her participation, her gentle gifts. But sometimes the loss flares up like a skinned knee with no one to make it better.

Jewish tradition tells us to honor our parents in life and in death. It is so important to celebrate love while we hold it, but also after it is gone. Bury the conflicts, cherish the good — today and always.




Leave a Reply