A Tribute To Mothers,Wives and Womanhood

Woman

Woman was made from the rib of man.

She was not created from his head to top him,

nor from his feet to be stepped upon.

She was made from his side to be equal to him,

from beneath his arms to be protected by him,

near his heart to be loved by him.

The Mother's Watch

She never

closed her eyes in sleep

'til we were all in bed.

On party nights 'til we came home

she often sat and read.

We little tho't about it then,

when we were young and gay,

how much Mother worried

when we children were away.

We only knew she never slept

when we were out at night

and that she waited just to know

we'd all come home all right.

Why sometimes

when we'd stay away

'til one or two or three,

it seemed to us that Mother heard

the turning of the key.

For always when we'd step inside

she'd call and we'd reply.

But we were all too young back then

to really understand just why.

Until the last one had returned

she always kept a light,

for Mother couldn't sleep until

she kissed us all goodnight.

She had to fear the world might harm

the ones she loved the best.

More than once we heard her say,

"When you are grown to women and men

perhaps I'll sleep the whole night thru.

Things might be different then."

And so it seemed that night and day

we knew a Mother's care.

That always when we got back home,

we'd find her waiting there.

Then came the night that we were called

and gathered together 'round her bed.

"The children all are with you now"

the kindly doctor said.

In her eyes there gleamed again

that old time tender light,

That told she had been waiting

just to know we were all right....

Dear Heavenly Father,

Make me a better parent.

Teach me to understand my children,
to listen patiently to what they have to say
and to answer all their questions kindly.

Keep me from interrupting them,
talking back to them and contradicting them.

Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me.

Give me the courage to confess my sins against my children and to ask of them forgiveness when I know that I have done them wrong.

May not I vainly hurt the feelings of my children.

Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes
or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment.

Let me not tempt my child to lie and steal.

So guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.

Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me.

May I cease to nag;
and when I am out of sorts,
help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue.

Blind me to the little errors of my children,
and help me to see the good things that they do.

Give me a ready word to honest praise.

Help me to grow up with my children,
to treat them as those of their own age,
but let me not expect of them the judgments
and conventions of adults.

Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity
to wait upon themselves,
to think, to choose and to make decisions.

Forbid that I should ever punish them
for my selfish satisfaction.

May I grant them all their wishes that are reasonable
and have the courage always to withhold a privilege
which I know will do them harm.

Make me so fair and just,
so considerate and companionable to my children
that they will have a genuine esteem for me.

Fit me to be loved and imitated by my children.

Amen.

The Mother's Watch

She never
closed her eyes in sleep
'til we were all in bed.
On party nights 'til we came home
she often sat and read.
We little tho't about it then,
when we were young and gay,
how much Mother worried
when we children were away.
We only knew she never slept
when we were out at night
and that she waited just to know
we'd all come home all right.
Why sometimes
when we'd stay away
'til one or two or three,
it seemed to us that Mother heard
the turning of the key.
For always when we'd step inside
she'd call and we'd reply.
But we were all too young back then
to really understand just why.
Until the last one had returned
she always kept a light,
for Mother couldn't sleep until
she kissed us all goodnight.
She had to fear the world might harm
the ones she loved the best.
More than once we heard her say,
"When you are grown to women and men
perhaps I'll sleep the whole night thru.
Things might be different then."
And so it seemed that night and day
we knew a Mother's care.
That always when we got back home,
we'd find her waiting there.
Then came the night that we were called
and gathered together 'round her bed.
"The children all are with you now"
the kindly doctor said.
In her eyes there gleamed again
that old time tender light,
That told she had been waiting
just to know we were all right....