She reaches out her hands to the poor (Prov. 31:20)...A Tribute to my Mama

I have heard it said that one's personality shows up early in childhood and that it is also shaped by significant experiences we have in life. When I look back on my childhood, I see how God began pouring a deep love for the poor in my heart when I was only four. We lived in Mexico at the time and my dad was a mechanic who was struggling to support a household of thirteen which included my parents, grandma and ten of us children (six boys and four girls). There was not enough money coming in for food or anything else so my mom came up with creative ways of making money to help make ends meet. She took simple but yet hard jobs such as traveling to the U.S. to iron clothes for long hours and spent time making beautiful, papier mache flowers of many bright colors to sell at the border in the hot sun. They were very tough times for our family but our strong faith in God made us rich and praying the rosary daily in the evenings kept us together despite the many trials we faced. I watched how my mom treated the street beggars especially the mothers who approached her with babies wrapped tightly around their backs. I remember her kind, compassionate demeanor towards those who had less than us and no one ever came to my mom and left empty handed. She literally stretched out her hands to the poor and gave them coins or food and didn't turn anyone away who asked for help. She identified with their suffering, treated them with dignity and wanted to lessen their pain in some way. Her generous love for the poor made such a deep impression on my soul.

Today marks five years since my mom passed away on the feast of St. Anthony of Padua (June 13th) her favorite saint. I remember all that she taught me through her actions and words of wisdom. I fondly recall her child-like sense of humor and how easily she broke into laughter. I was touched by her faithful love for my father through all the joys and difficulties of their married life together. I honor her for her selfless dedication to her children and unconditional love she expressed in so many ways on a daily basis. I thank God for sending me a mom who loved to cook for us and put love into the delicious food she made. I praise him for her love of music and how she liked to dance with all of her children and tons of grand kids, especially in her kitchen! I remember it like it was yesterday when she would wake up and I would walk by her bedroom and see her with her silver hair kneeling in prayer at the foot of her bed with her hands together and her eyes shut reverently. I was touched by her life long devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and witnessed all the miracles he granted her. The biggest miracle I witnessed was the time my little niece nearly drowned in the pool when we were already living in the U.S. and how she was miraculously brought back to life through my mom's persistent prayers to the Sacred Heart in Spanish.

I saw her great emotional strength and heard all about the time when my dad was a politician in Mexico and was unjustly incarcerated and nearly killed before I was born. I witnessed how she found the grace to forgive those who hurt her in little and huge ways. She taught me so much about what it means to be a woman of hard work, dignity, prayer and integrity. She showed me that a woman of faith seeks to do what is pleasing to God even if others wrong her or cause her pain. She taught me that humor can lighten a heavy load and that suffering becomes less painful when shared with others. I remember fun memories too like the times she invited me to share her secret stash of chocolate if I was having a rough day and we would sit on her bed and savor every bite like kids that were getting away with something.

Towards the end of her life in 2013 when she was 85 and very ill, I visited her and knew in my heart that she would pass away soon. She gazed at me for a long while with so much love in her eyes and caressed my face with her hand as if making a memory and never wanting to forget what I looked like. It was like God himself was looking at me for the first time after he created me. I will never forget that last, loving gaze and how she hugged me so tightly with her thin, fragile body that disappeared into mine. Her last glimpse for me was one of unconditional love. Thank you Lord for my beautiful mother who taught me how dear and precious I am in your sight!

I am incredibly blessed that God gave me a wonderfully, loving mother who carried such heavy burdens in her big heart and spent so much time on her knees praying for her children and grand children.

If our earthly Mothers can spend countless hours on their knees interceding for us and can hold huge amounts of love in their hearts for us. How much more love does our Heavenly Mother have for each one of us? How many prayers has she lovingly placed at the throne of her son for you and me? Do we turn to her in times of trouble?

My prayer for you today is that you are able to open your heart to the love our Heavenly Mother has for you through her son Jesus.

My favorite picture with my beautiful Mama.
(I love how Mother Mary is in the background!)