As many of you are aware, it’s official! Stacy’s Flutterings is no longer on hiatus. In addition to writing regular blog posts once again, I’m bringing Wednesday Wanderings back. For those who might be wondering, Wednesday Wanderings is a series of weekly blog posts that I publish on Wednesdays. Each Wednesday Wanderings post is comprised of a quote that I find meaningful and significant in some way. And what makes each Wednesday Wanderings blog post unique is that in addition to sharing a quote with you, I take it a step further, and I share with you the thoughts and emotions that the quote stirs up for me personally. My hope, in writing the Wednesday Wanderings series, is that on Wednesdays the blog post will spark some midweek inspiration for you. To help kick this off, I’m sharing a quote today from Mahatma Gandhi that I find very powerful. What is the quote, and how is it powerful? Keep reading…
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” Mahatma Gandhi
Wow! Gandhi’s words resonant with me in such a way that it’s difficult to describe. Even saying, “Wow!” sounds like an injustice! I question, “How can I, a mere mom, say anything after Gandhi’s quote that would have any impact at all?” Even in death, the pioneer of the non-violence movement continues to inspire us all to not give up, to have faith in one another, and to help one another. And to think that the keystone, that locks all of his teachings together, is peace. Even though I know that I can’t come remotely close to saying anything at all that would inspire people as much as Gandhi has, and continues to do so, I’m going to share the thoughts that came to my mind after reading his quote. As ordinary as my thoughts are, here goes…
What happened when I read Gandhi’s words above?
When I read the words, “indomitable will” I thought about motherhood and the role of mother. In my experience, as a mother, there’s nothing stronger than a mother’s will. To me, a mother’s will is the manifestation of the love a mother has for her child. Who comes to your mind when you read the words, “a mother’s will?” Of course, I think of Mother Mary, the mother of Jesus. To me, she’s the mother of all mothers. She is the definition of strength. And I think of someone else, I think of my mother. It was my mother’s will that saw my family through some of the hardest times when I was growing up. What is incredible to me is that, intuitively, I knew that no matter what came my way, when I was a child, I would be okay. I knew I’d be okay because I knew that my mother was protecting me and watching out for me, and she still does to this day. Her love for me and my siblings is palpable, and yet she doesn’t live near me. That’s how a mother’s love is.
What about my role as mother?
When I think about my role as mother, I instantly think about my children: Paul, Kim and Katlin. I think back to the days that I carried each of them through pregnancy, birth and beyond, and I feel pride, and I feel joy. I feel a sense of satisfaction only a mother could know. I’ve done my job. I managed to bring three, beautiful, loving, human beings into this world. Now that they are grown adults, we seem to spend so much time apart. However, when I have the privilege of hearing them on the phone and/or seeing them in person, I stand in awe. They don’t know it yet, but now they carry me with each breath they take. They carry me forward, and their love lifts my spirt. That is the strength of a mother’s indomitable will. It’s so powerful that it’s invisible. And with it’s invisible nature, a mother’s indomitable will transcends life and death, and it even transcends the miles here on Earth between a mother and a child. To me, a mother’s indomitable will is the keystone to life itself.
It’s your turn. What comes to your mind when you read Gandhi’s quote about strength and the indomitable will?
Growing stronger…
