February Meditation - 2026

 

Beginning at a very early age, and every year since, I've always presented my Mom with something on Valentine's Day.

When she was living: flowers, a card, and gifts came every year.

And now that she's gone: I lay a single rose at her headstone each year on Valentine's.  

While going through her old cedar chest, where she kept mine and my brother's keepsakes, I found she'd rubber-banded together a stack of the cards we'd given her each year for various holidays.  

In that stack was a typed page I'd given to her one Valentine's while I was still in high school.  I had typed out this poem by Helen Steiner Rice:

A Mother's Love

by Helen Steiner Rice

A Mother's love is something
that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .

It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .

It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .

It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .

A many splendoured miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God's tender guiding hand.


Helen Steiner Rice is, perhaps, not so very "in vogue" today. 

But, at one time, especially in the United States, everyone knew her name.  In fact, all one had to do was open up a greeting card and there'd, more than likely, be one of her poems.

Often referred to as the "poet laureate of inspirational verse," Helen Steiner Rice (May 19, 1900 – April 23, 1981) was an American writer of both inspirational and Christian poetry. 

This author of inspirational verse had quite an inspirational life herself and
her biography is well worth examination.

I wanted to salute you, Mrs Steiner-Rice. 
Thank you for saying the words so beautifully--

words that I (and I'm sure quite a few others)
could not express quite as well. 

Your poem about a Mother's love that I poorly re-typed on a (now quite yellowed with age) sheet of typing paper in my sophomore Typing class is one that I'm sure my own Mother found quite moving.  

Little did I know I'd come across it 50 years later and be brought to tears myself.

Life sure has a funny way of coming around again.

_________________________

______________________________________

More of Terry's Written Works

Drama:
Short Stories:

Terry’s “Good Living” Guide:

Body:
Avoid the 3 PsBsSs
Processed Foods, Phthalates, Plastics;
Beef, Butter, Breads;
Sedentary activities, Sugars, Salt.
Trust me,
you’ll be feeling better in no time!

Mind & Spirit:
Avoid the 3 F’s
Manufactured in these mediums are
misinformation, fear, anger and hate!

JOIN ME IN ENSURING AN EDUCATED CITIZENRY!

JOIN ME IN ENSURING AN EDUCATED CITIZENRY!

Join me in ensuring an educated citizenry!
BECOME A SUSTAINING MEMBER TODAY!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)