When A Parent Loves

As I was cleaning today, I was thinking about the mothers and fathers in my life who LOVE other people’s children.  All of those thoughts brought to mind R.Kelly’s latest hit When A Woman Loves.  If you listen closely it sounds as if he’s singing about his mother or a mother.  During my chores today my thoughts were more focused on when a parent loves.

When a parent loves, the world is loved.  When a parent loves, love is shared with all of us.  When a parent loves another person’s child, they are really loving ALL of our children.

• I remember when TJ was younger and so many of his friends would come over for sleep overs, dinner, lunch, play dates, whatever, anything, time with our family.  Little did I know at the time that us taking in other children to spend some time with was soothing and helpful to their parents.  I’ve been told several times by several different parents that us having their child over was a blessing to them.  We were just loving our child and treating their children as our own.  We had no idea we were really blessing someone else.
• When I was growing up my mom used to work in a daycare center.  EVERY day she would bring home “some stray child” whose parent was not able to pick them up before the center closed.  Although I was a bit selfish during my early teen years, having someone else’s child around really didn’t bother me.  My mother taught me how to love strangers and see past the exterior of people into their souls.  I am so grateful to her for that.  Thanks to my mother, I have several sisters and brothers that neither of my parents created biologically.  My sister Kathy LOVED having someone else’s child to watch over and love.  That was her thing, loving other people’s children.
• Kathy loved other people’s children so much I believe they thought Kathy was their mother.  I remember when Kathy was just 19 or 20, she took in another woman’s baby as her own and practically raised her for years.  I am grateful to Kathy for that because did ALL of us a great service by showing love to a child who needed it.
• Allan spent the weekend with one of his best friends this weekend.  When I went to take him to the meeting place, I realize that my good friend took on 6 children this weekend.  I thought it was just going to be her kids and Allan.  Don’t know why I thought that because every time I go over there, her oldest always has a friend or two hanging around.  Pele always loves our children as if they are her own.  I love her even more for that.  That’s the love of a mother she shows my children.  The love R.Kelly sings of in his hit When A Woman Loves.
• When I was married, my husband had a great camaraderie with children in every neighborhood we lived in.  Before TJ was born, the neighborhood kids would come over and ask if Mr. Tony could come out and play.  He played football with them in our front yard.  When we moved back to Columbia, he played basketball and football with the neighborhood kids.  He always had their best interest at heart.  There was no malice towards them and he genuinely cared about them as if they were his own.  The love of a parent towards another person’s child is what he has always demonstrated.  Even after our divorce I can still see it.  My ex-husband was and still is a father figure to someone else’s children.  I appreciate that he does that.
• My BFF has two daughters of her own.  Well, this weekend she had a total of 4 girls to care for.  One of them is an infant.  She enjoyed every moment of it.   She did it because the mother needed help.  Plain and simple.  She loved all of them as if they were her own too.  I am thankful she does that.
• Jerrie has been taking care of my oldest granddaughter since she was born.  Jerrie has no grandchildren of her own, but she calls mine hers.  She’s a co-grandparent.  As a matter of fact, Ms T is at Jerrie’s right now giving her all of the love a grandchild gives.  I am thankful to Jerrie for the love she has given to my son, my daughter-in-law, and my grands.  Another example of when a parent loves another parent’s child as their own.

This entry is my expression of appreciation to all of the parents who love.  I express this Appreciation from the infinite abundance that is my natural state, knowing that as I do it, this expression will just expand and reflect right back to me.

Namaste