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Sunday, September 28, 2008

A mother's love

One of my favorite movie moms is Mrs. Brisby from The Secret of Nyhm(sp.?). There is a scene in that movie where Mrs. Brisby is trying to save her children and her home from sinking into the mud and consuming them. She had enlisted the help of the rats of Nyhm, but at that point, they were unable to help. She had been given an amulet that held a lot of power, but it could only be unlocked by someone who was worthy. As she is watching her children sinking she sees the amulet and grabs for it. It burns her hands, and she lets go, but not before she notices that it had started to rise her home up out of the mud. With her not holding it, though, it goes dark.

Then she makes the decision to grasp a hold of the amulet once more because she saw what it could do with her in control of it. She holds onto it tightly even though it is obviously burning her hands. Using that power and her own will and love for her children she moves the home to safety. At the end of the film, you see her with her children safe, but you also see her daughter wrapping her hands because of the burns from the amulet.

I was impressed that it was only because of her love for her family that she was able to move her home and withstand the burns it caused. As a mother, I have come to understand that there is a lot of pain and heartache involved in this job. From the get go with pregnancy and labor, and throughout your child's life. I think there are times when we feel that burning of our hands and just want to toss it away. But it is with love that we once again pick it back up again and in the end realize the fruit of our labor...even if it is only to feel the sweetness that loving another being so completely can bring into our lives.

Coming up...bringing knowledge into the equation.

1 comment:

Handsfullmom said...

I love that book, too. She's such a good mom!

Birth is a Journey: Does it have to be life changing?


  • One woman might have to climb on an overfilled boat, risking her life and nearly dying as she escapes over the ocean to come to this land. This experience could certainly be life altering. It may very well color the rest of her life, positively or negatively. (I overcame this amazing struggle and here I am triumphant! OR Holy crap, that was SO hard I don’t know if I can go on! By the way, neither response is “right”. No one would judge the woman with the 2nd response.)
  • One woman may buy an airplane ticket, sit on a comfortable 747 and fly to America with a nice smooth flight and landing. She is happy to be in America. Those welcoming her are glad she is here safe and sound. She may only travel by plane 2-4 times in her life, so it is pretty memorable. But the journey itself probably wouldn’t be life changing; it would simply be a journey.
  • One woman may learn to fly an ultra-light plane to lead a flock of geese into America teaching them to migrate. This experience could certainly be empowering and life altering.