BABCI - MEMORIES AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Today I write my end-of-the-year newsletter, Essence of Reality. On this day, December 6th (it would be her birthday), I remember one of the most loving and devoted women I was blessed to know and to have had as my mother-in-law. She told me when I married her son, I became her daughter, and she would like it very much if I would call her “Mom.”
Known to family as Babci, she was a woman who forgave first believing everyone makes mistakes and no one can claim they are innocent because it always takes two to argue.
Babci believed you never let the sun go down in anger. To her, there could be no good reason. She believed that anger eats you up inside and many times it is the children who become victims of estrangement. Brothers, sisters, aunts’ uncles, and grandparents should come to cherish children and them. Anger must never travel down to them, and yet it does. Years wasted because of adult words of anger and disillusionment. Indeed, words have an impact on everyone especially us.
Family came first as I learned from her sister one day at a family event. I needed to take my son to the doctor as he was sick with a fever. It was at this event that her sister asked me how my son was doing. I asked her how she knew he had been sick. She said, “Helen and I were going to go to lunch until you called and asked if she could come and help you. She canceled as the family came first.” I was astounded and in awe of what she did without question to help me. I never would have known hadn’t her sister not told me.
To this day when I think of that conversation and the unconditional love, she gave to all of us, my heart feels treasured what I received from her during her lifetime.
No words can describe the love, kindness, humor at times, and support, she gave.
The roads we choose to travel have many twists and turns. Life is not a road paved in gold. I learned a great deal from her and yet I, like most people, am touched with sadness that she is not with us especially this time of year. To Babci, Christmas was the time of year for new beginnings and forgiveness.
When I was a child we watched the TV show, “Lassie.” A dog was the savior who always made things right again. A few years back in the movie “Home Alone,” a child was the one that brought a family back together that had been estranged for twenty years. The one that benefited the most was the son's little girl; she got a grandpa.
We usually don’t know the journey we will experience. My journey thus far has given me indescribable love from a woman known to her family as Babci.
I Love You, Mom