A son's first love is his mother. A mother's last love is her firstborn. A daughter's first love is her father. A father's last love is his eldest daughter.
I personally observed the bond between a mother -- my niece, Jamir -- and her son, Ashton. They were both in the swimming pool. He was on a floater, and she was letting go of a floater. The son is just 2 years old, and the mother, though 36, never learned how to swim. As she leaned against the pool, she started to lose her footing. She slipped by mistake and submerged underwater. The terrified expression on her 2-year-old son's face prompted him to ask, "Momma, are you OK?"
He has previously spoken, but never these exact words.
The child attempted to swim to his mother when the mother recovered. He approached the mother sitting on the stairs and said, "Are you all right, momma? Just sit down."
His mother shed a tear. Though he was only 2 years old, he could feel that his mother was in danger. Despite his inexperience and lack of knowledge, he knew something was wrong and went to make it right.
There are two passages in the Bible that relate to this and provide profound insight into the relationship between a child and his mother.
Proverbs 1:8-9: "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."
1 Timothy 2:15: "But women will be saved through childbearing -- if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety."
These Bible passages encourage us to show reverence and respect to our mothers. It promotes the traditional ideals of motherhood and encourages us to respect the love that our mothers, who went through the excruciating pain of childbirth, have for us by encouraging us to listen to and respect their wisdom.
No one is born a good parent; rather, they develop into one. A woman cannot be considered a mother until she gives birth to a child. Whether parents recognize it or not, their children are their teachers. They compel them to learn the ins and outs of parenting, to stay up late and perform additional work and to be tested under the most dire conditions. Each succeeding child provides a parent with more understanding, but the first child marks the change from being independent to having someone fully depend on you.
This situation demonstrated just that. It also showed me that the link between the firstborn and mother is innate. As long as a parent is receptive to parenting, they will discover that blood creates the most profound connection. It is a connection forged by nature, not circumstance. It motivates parents to succeed for their children and their children to appreciate, respect and love their parents.
Throughout our lives, we will encounter many people and we will engage with and learn from countless others. However, not all knowledge and insight is provided with pure intentions; there are transgressors in this world who seek to undermine our interests for their own gain. However, a parent who loves and appreciates their child will be the first and final person in whom a child will place their confidence. Every child with decent parents can rest easy knowing that every word their parents speak is intended to aid, not harm. These words are as much a helping hand as any physical act; they embody virtue.
As a child's life progresses, they may be certain that their parents will be by their side every step of the way, imparting knowledge from their own life experiences and giving them the additional push they needed to blossom into a successful adult. With each grain of wisdom they obtain, they will be able to transmit that knowledge to future generations. Each parent, whether they realize it or not, influences future generations of children who will only exist because of the inspiration they provided.
Those who are fortunate enough to have youthful parents can take comfort in knowing that they will be able to give their parents the chance to see them mature, an opportunity that every parent desires. Parents can observe their children develop from newborns who cannot talk, cannot walk and cannot logically reason into individuals at the apex of their lives and careers. That is undoubtedly a sight to see for any parent, and it is the culmination of a child's efforts to thank their parents for the gift of life.
I treasured every minute I spent with my parents, and I adore the sight of young parents and their newborns embarking on a long, rich and healthy connection that will endure the remainder of their lives.
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