"Mama" by Almeta Whitis
copyright 2019
How many times do we feel overwhelmed by the number and proportion of broken people and things in this world? We find ourselves wondering, “What can one person do?" or "What can I do?”. Consider this -that one person -giving what they can - does actually change the world. And, I am not talking about money.
Many decades ago, my boyfriend abruptly decided to end our 5-year long relationship, leaving me feeling bereft and forlorn, abandoned! Thinking I was a "good actress, I thought I'd hidden my feelings from my sons. However, I had no idea of just how deeply the state of my thinking and emotional devastation had affected my elder son who was then 10 years old. Oh, but I found out . . Yes! I found out . . .
One day, I lay curled up in the fetal position after another prolonged bout of crying my eyes out over that man, my son came home from the World of Inquiry School and knocked on my bedroom door . . .
"Mom, can I show you something?"
"I'm not feeling well, just leave it on the table. I'll read and sign it later-"
"Well, uh - Mom... Mrs. Chapman taught us about poetry today. I wrote my first poem. Do you want to read it, Mom?
"Yes, I'll read it later, just lay it on my bed."
He entered my bedroom clutching a sheet of lined notebook paper, looked at me saying, "Mom, I - I really want to read it TO you . . Mrs. Chapman said it is a good poem. . ."
"Okay, you can read it to me; I'll listen." I rolled over to sit and listen . . .
He began reading "Mama". *(See attached original copy below)
When he finished, I KNEW;
1.) that my son had crafted a beautiful work of art;
2.) that I was NOT as good an actress as I'd thought and;
3.) that he knew it!
4.) And he had given me permission to do whatever I needed to ease that deep pain. Not only was my son aware of my despair over losing "my man", he felt the depth of that loss and gave me permission to "take my leave" if it was too much for me to go on. My first-born son assured me with his first few fledgling lines of poetry - that it was okay to take myself to a better place if doing that would make me feel better. Talk about deep!
I knew then that my leaving this world would definitely NOT benefit my sons or me. Because of his gift of poetry, I regained my will to live and carry on with my life, being a better woman and mother. I looked closely at my son's words scrawled in ink - his first try at poetry - just as you see it, with only one misspelled word - on the handwritten copy. ;-) I smiled in appreciation of his poetic and reflective genius. And, he has been writing ever since: award-winning poetry, essays, music, songs, stories and stage plays. He has a dedicated following for his online blog: Blazing Concepts at Blue Crucible https://blue-crucible.com/
In closing, I ask that you consider that our giving is not about money. It is about "feelings" - the missing ingredient. To all you mothers and sons: You have love to give. You have encouragement and wisdom to give. You have kindness and compassion to give. You have a listening ear and an open heart. You can offer forgiveness and choose acceptance. If each one of us gave something good each day, our world would be a better place. There is more than enough good to go around. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. knew that to be true…and you know it to be true. Now, what will you do with it? Someone long ago once said, “And, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free . . ." Peace.
Poem
Mama by Christopher T. Brown copyright 1975
Mama is leaving us today
Mama is going somewhere special
Mama will like it there
Peace, Joy and Understanding are what she needs
To complete her journey home
I would like to go with her but
I am not ready to take that trip yet
Anyway, Mama will not be lonely
Mama will not be lonely anymore
Mama is leaving us today
Mama is going somewhere special
She will like it there
Mama take care
