Too many tears for a mother

April showers have given way to May flowers. Easter has come and gone, prom outfits are flying out the door, graduation season has kicked in, the Kentucky Derby has been run and Mother’s Day is here. Whimsical reflections on life journeys and exuberant projections about the hope of things to come are rampant. There are cheers and tears everywhere. And yet, there are far too many tears being shed for all the wrong reasons.

“Time don’t wait on you” is a phrase my mother would say to me as I was navigating my personal path to adulthood, usually at an unacceptable pace. The things a mother says have often had historical impact. How many people have tried to live up to the standard of the virtuous woman described in the Proverbs. The words of that book were uttered to a king as he wrote down the instructions given to him by his mother about the character he and his wife should have. Instructions from a mother that bring her joy when fulfilled. And yet, there are still too many tears being shed for all the wrong reasons.

Tears of joy stream down like a flood as the reality of significant life events take place. First words, first steps, first day of school, first recital, first awards days and so many other firsts cause our hearts to beat a little faster, our throats to tighten up and our breath to be taken away. As a result of these kinds of events we shout, we sing, and we dance to express that we matter to one another. And yet, there are still too many tears being shed for all the wrong reasons.

The wrong reasons are that there are more mass shootings than days this year. The wrong reasons are there are too many families planning their first funerals. The wrong reasons are that there are too many mothers going to spend their first Mother’s Day without a child. The wrong reasons are there are too many people talking about the issues rather than doing something about them. The wrong reasons are that there are solutions for this violent epidemic but people who only want to focus on the problems. Too many tears because the excuses are filled with the idea that there is some other time to make effective change. All I know is to share with decision makers, movers and shakers, or anyone who has an ear to hear what my mother taught me: “Time don’t wait on you.”

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