This is the first Mother's Day since my mother left. I received the life of an Italian woman, who was orphaned at the age of 5, lived through the second world war from 10 to 15 years old, was a mother of 3 children and who has an incredible life story, which would make a good book and a good movie.
I spent much of my life wishing for more from this mother, as a needy daughter. Now, I understand, she gave me the Life, let me live in her belly and gave me Light and Shade, and for that reason deserves my Gratitude deep.
My eldest son, on the day of his departure, told me a sentence that will remain engraved in my soul for eternity:
“Mom, I know your mother-daughter relationship was challenging, but it made you an amazing person…”
That's the word: challenge.
I define being a mother as a delicious and painful exercise in overcoming, because despite a smile often erasing the pain of a bad night's sleep, or the nausea and discomfort of pregnancy, I gave life to my son at 23, and this exercise was challenging .
How to deal with stomachaches, bronchitis attacks, the first day of school, the first school trip… there is a desire in my soul to do my best, but will it be enough?
Five years later, I started all over again… More nausea, and doubts, will I be able to love like I love the first one? Is there so much love in my heart? The answer is an incredible YES! Everything can be better with the second child, as he brings to the family the relationship of siblings, love and hate at the same time, growing together, teaching learning, caring, the development of love, giving and receiving... Wow, how beautiful it is to see the love of the brothers.
They are fruits of his flesh, which develop day by day and make us proud. That's right, I'm a mother who drools, who has to be a bib, because all this overcoming has brought to this planet two incredible people, first class citizens, first line people.
Then, when I thought everything was complete, I got a bonus: the third child, who didn't come from my belly, came as a gift, a child's delight, an old man in a child's body, who brings birth every day to my life, giving and receiving in a fluid, clean, light, delicious way…
Overcome, this is the verb that I, as a daughter and mother, learned to conjugate with love, pain and pride of a good job done.
Thank you, mamma, for the privilege of being a daughter. Thank you Bruno for being the firstborn and teaching me what it's like to be a mother. Thank you, Stephanie, for showing me that being a mother can get better. Thank you, Nathan, for being the Light that gives me every day.
