Mother's Day - May 9th 2021
5 May 2021
Mothers Day Letter 9 May, 2021
To my mom and your mom. Our moms. We humbly ask today. Please mom, even though I have lost my way, even my right so many times to ask this of you, please don’t turn me away. , …. Just this one more time, beloved mom, let me say that I love you. Let me your child begin again.
My prayer would be – part of the old quote: My beloved child, you are always welcome. Tea is at four p.m. Do not bother to knock.
Maybe to mention a couple of things that reminds me and perhaps you yourselves reading this, of when I ‘ and you ‘ used to wear a younger one-s clothing. Days of Yore and today and dreams of tomorrow.
To begin: to me, Fr. Joe, what beautiful color photos can I bring back to my mom. She certainly knows the stark black and white of my stumbles, muddy shoes, bloodied knees and life ’long scars. And so vividly does she remember often the shambles of my own life, and perhaps, the shambles of each of yours reading this.
And yes, before I go on, I will in a moment, speak of the Covid monster. The orc creature goofing up our lives. But first.
As long as I can, my whole life, beginning today, I want to remember that on this Mothers s Day ‘ I kneel before my mom, you reading this before your mom, touching her knee, her hands in mine. Even before her gravestone. Even before a long ago photograph.
Perhaps saying ………Mom for me, working with the poor is a very fragile and precious affair. To be guarded and cherished and does not come easily. Mom, you taught me that gentleness.
The greatest honor, mom, I can offer you is that for me, you have always been a slum mom. That is the most beautiful title I can offer you.
And just thinking of some of the stupendous things Slum moms & Slum Grannies do – things no one really notices very much nor talks about. But really earth shattering: Klong Toey style.
Like: I remember …… once seeing you, mom, you buying, paying for, a whole big sack of thrown away trash plastic bottles at double the going slum price from an eight year old slum orphan girl for breakfast money for her and her crippled granny, who wasn’t really her real granny, but both of them didn’t have anyone else, so they adopted each other. They lived down under the bridge near the slaughter house. And how you humbly asked permission from Granny if it was okay to purchase the used plastic – to give her dignity and save face. And how granny just nodded and smiled. You saved them, from arguing with that nasty junk man/guy who always cheats, especially when it’s easy to cheat a girl child who is hungry with a crippled granny.
And another early morning, mom, my beloved slum mom, you saw another mo um, really a pretty lady, but looking so bedraggled and sad, coming home at dawn, knowing her own 4 year old boy was awake, out of bed, waiting for her, his own mom – who had promised to come home – as always – but couldn’t get away after a couple hours work as she usually managed - not pleasant work. I remember how you gave her one of my favorite toys to give her son, and how upset I was, and mom …. How you held me and let me cry and made me promise to give away all my favorite toys whenever I could.
Yes, it’s Mom’s special day. And we honor our moms, living and in heaven.
Also, as promised, of Covid 19. We are in lock-down. ALL healthy and fit. All 2,000 kids in 23 slums and 150 now with us here at Mercy Centre. Our Angels protect us. Yes, we wear masks and wash and wash and distance. But we are fine. I am fine. Housebound, but am happy and healthy.
Finally Remember your mom. Make her proud Prayers and Respect Fr. Joe
To my mom and your mom. Our moms. We humbly ask today. Please mom, even though I have lost my way, even my right so many times to ask this of you, please don’t turn me away. , …. Just this one more time, beloved mom, let me say that I love you. Let me your child begin again.
My prayer would be – part of the old quote: My beloved child, you are always welcome. Tea is at four p.m. Do not bother to knock.
Maybe to mention a couple of things that reminds me and perhaps you yourselves reading this, of when I ‘ and you ‘ used to wear a younger one-s clothing. Days of Yore and today and dreams of tomorrow.
To begin: to me, Fr. Joe, what beautiful color photos can I bring back to my mom. She certainly knows the stark black and white of my stumbles, muddy shoes, bloodied knees and life ’long scars. And so vividly does she remember often the shambles of my own life, and perhaps, the shambles of each of yours reading this.
And yes, before I go on, I will in a moment, speak of the Covid monster. The orc creature goofing up our lives. But first.
As long as I can, my whole life, beginning today, I want to remember that on this Mothers s Day ‘ I kneel before my mom, you reading this before your mom, touching her knee, her hands in mine. Even before her gravestone. Even before a long ago photograph.
Perhaps saying ………Mom for me, working with the poor is a very fragile and precious affair. To be guarded and cherished and does not come easily. Mom, you taught me that gentleness.
The greatest honor, mom, I can offer you is that for me, you have always been a slum mom. That is the most beautiful title I can offer you.
And just thinking of some of the stupendous things Slum moms & Slum Grannies do – things no one really notices very much nor talks about. But really earth shattering: Klong Toey style.
Like: I remember …… once seeing you, mom, you buying, paying for, a whole big sack of thrown away trash plastic bottles at double the going slum price from an eight year old slum orphan girl for breakfast money for her and her crippled granny, who wasn’t really her real granny, but both of them didn’t have anyone else, so they adopted each other. They lived down under the bridge near the slaughter house. And how you humbly asked permission from Granny if it was okay to purchase the used plastic – to give her dignity and save face. And how granny just nodded and smiled. You saved them, from arguing with that nasty junk man/guy who always cheats, especially when it’s easy to cheat a girl child who is hungry with a crippled granny.
And another early morning, mom, my beloved slum mom, you saw another mo um, really a pretty lady, but looking so bedraggled and sad, coming home at dawn, knowing her own 4 year old boy was awake, out of bed, waiting for her, his own mom – who had promised to come home – as always – but couldn’t get away after a couple hours work as she usually managed - not pleasant work. I remember how you gave her one of my favorite toys to give her son, and how upset I was, and mom …. How you held me and let me cry and made me promise to give away all my favorite toys whenever I could.
Yes, it’s Mom’s special day. And we honor our moms, living and in heaven.
Also, as promised, of Covid 19. We are in lock-down. ALL healthy and fit. All 2,000 kids in 23 slums and 150 now with us here at Mercy Centre. Our Angels protect us. Yes, we wear masks and wash and wash and distance. But we are fine. I am fine. Housebound, but am happy and healthy.
Finally Remember your mom. Make her proud Prayers and Respect Fr. Joe