Tomorrow, May 8, 2016 is Mother’s Day.  It is suppose to be a happy day, where many embrace their mother’s love, celebrate that love with them.  How many won’t be able to do just that?  How many did’nt receive a mother’s love?  Too many to count!!! As children we look up to our mothers, look for encouragement, understanding, a feeling of being wanted.  Wanting nothing more than the love of a Mother. Their kind touch, hug, kiss.  Many children didn’t or will not ever know that kind of love.  Living in a world of abuse, a world they have known all their lives.  Suffering often in silence.  Being neglected in many ways. Emotional, physical, sexual abuse is devastating to a child.

When a mother emotionally abuses you as a child, it leaves a scar inside of you that may never heal.  We carry that scar with us from childhood to adulthood.  Words spoken are ingrained into us, we never forget.  How can a mother do this, seemingly not caring for her child. A child she gave birth to?  Even a child she adopted as an infant.  I was one of those children. Adopted at 6 months of age, supposed to be loved.  Told I was “special” because they chose me.  I didn’t feel loved.  I don’t ever remember being hugged, or told “I love you.”  That hurts, and still hurts.  My mother is now deceased, and have now forgiven her in the past year. I will never know if she truly loved me.  Always being put down, told “You will never amount to anything!!” This hurts.  Although I hid it inside me growing up, pretended that all was fine in our family, but it was a dysfunctional family, like so many who lived their lives the same way.  My mother never knowing about the incest that went on, or did she know? Didn’t care, turn a blind eye?  These are things I will never know, others may never know either.  

Living a life of pretending, that all was okay in our family to the people on the outside. I hid it well, as so many other children did and do. All we want was a mothers love but often only got yelled at for every little thing. Yet, I still needed to hear her words of praise, her words of love. Telling me I did a good job. Sadly, so many children face this every day.  It saddens my heart to know what these kids are going through.  Abuse will happen even on Mother’s day.  We can’t stop abuse, but we can help by seeing the signs, not turning a blind eye.  A child has a right to feel happy, to feel the love of a mother.

I write this not for me. I have moved on and yes the hurt still lingers, but I am in a good place now.  I write this for all those who are still in a dark place in their lives, who need to know that there are others out there who know what they are going through, who care, and want them to know that they are not alone.                                                                                                           Mary Graziano                                                                               copyrighted May 2016…

A MOTHER’S LOVE

To be a mother, God’s greatest gift
To cherish a child for life.
Our Creator blessed you to care for them
Never abusing, hurting, to neglect.
A mother is a mentor, to shape a child’s life.
Not hate, ridicule, ignore them.
That is not the way it should be.
A mother is their shining star.
Someone a child looks up to.
To be held in their arms, told “I love you.”
Bringing comfort, as they go to sleep.
No mother should ever humiliate.
Break a child’s spirit in any way.
Their child will carry this forever.
A heart that will be broken,
Sometimes never to be repaired.
Children are our special gift
Loaned from Creator above.
To always love, cherish, protect.
A mother love a child’s wanting gift.

Prose by Mary Graziano
Copyrighted May 7, 2016

Mary Shared Michal Madison Art

http://www.MichalMadisonArt.com