A Mother's Love

         I really didn't understand, what it meant to grow up. When I was younger, my mom and I did not get along at all. I left home at the age of fifteen; probably the most fortunate opportunity to live life on my own. The mere idea of being able to do as I pleased, and go and come as I wished, was very inviting.

         So, I left and went to stay at a friends house; from there, to another's and it kept going until I ran out of friends to stay with, and their moms to say the least, didn't really appreciate it.

         Not knowing that my leaving home would cause my mom such heartache, it was the best thing that I could have done; but in her world, it was the worst step I could have taken in my life of many mistakes.

         I didn't think that my mother would really take me back after leaving and causing her so much pain. If I would have not been so egotistical and stubborn, I may have had a different life; even if I had stayed at home.

         Of course, I didn't and I got married with the father of my children. Many years passed before I came to realize that it was a really huge mistake. The only good thing that came of it was that I acquired five beautiful children. When I finally realized that I could no longer live with my husband, it was already years to late.

         But like they say, it's never too late to start over. Which is exactly what I did. Now, six years into a new relationship, and being able to say that I have never been happier in my entire life, I am really grateful that I had a second chance to be happy, and that my children have an opportunity to be happy and enjoy their childhood to the fullest.

         They are the reason that I do what I can and I give my children all the love in the world that my heart can possibly give.

         I only hope that one day I will not be in the position that I put my mother in so many years ago. Since then, I have asked for forgiveness from my mother and she has forgiven me. Letting me know that I had finally grown up.

         I now know that I caused her a lot of pain and made her feel like she was a disaster of a mom, which was not true. Because she raised five other daughters and they all came out fine; it was only me that had no patience. I was so ignorant that I didn't realize that my mother had also been going through a rough time as well.

         Years passed, and the children grew up, I am waiting for them to come and spend the holidays with us. We are so glad that we took the time to understand and talk to our children so that they could have all the trust and confidence they needed.

         The difference between my mom and myself is that I learned from my mom, she didn't have her mom to learn from. My mother is the woman who gave birth to me and even though she kind of got lost in the process of motherhood, she managed to make up for it with all of her grandchildren. The children now have their own children, which are my grandchildren.

         I hope my children will someday say they love me like I love my mom, unconditionally. Aside from all her faults, a mother is a mother and a mother should be loved unconditionally.

         When you realise this you will also understand what it means to grow up.