Sometimes being a mum is tough. You have to say no to your child, you have to put your foot down, you have to make the unpopular decision. You might even hear “You don’t love me” occasionally. This beautiful text called “A Mother’s Love” by Erma Bombeck sums up motherhood perfectly.
Erma Bombeck was one of America’s best-loved humorists at the time of her death in 1996. Ten of her 13 books appeared on The New York Times bestseller lists, including If Life is a Bowl Of Cherries What Am I Doing in the Pits, which includes this poignant piece.
“A Mother’s Love” by Erma Bombeck
“You don’t love me!” How many times have your kids laid that one on you?
And how many times have you, as a parent, resisted the urge to tell them how much?
Someday, when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother, I’ll tell them.
I loved you enough to bug you about where you were going, with whom and what time you would get home.
I loved you enough to insist you buy a bike with your own money that you could afford.
I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover your friend was a creep.
I loved you enough to make you return a Milky Way with a bite out of it to a drugstore and confess, “I stole this.”
I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your bedroom, a job that would have taken me 15 minutes.
I loved you enough to say, “Yes, you can go to Disney World on Mother’s Day.”
I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, disgust and tears in my eyes.
I loved you enough not to make excuses for your lack of respect or your bad manners.
I loved you enough to admit that I was wrong and ask for your forgiveness.
I loved you enough to ignore what every other mother did or said.
I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall, hurt and fail.
I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your own actions at age 6, 10 or 16.
I loved you enough to figure you would lie about the party being chaperoned, but forgave you for it — after discovering I was right.
I loved you enough to accept you for what you are, not what I wanted you to be.
But most of all, I loved you enough to say no when you hated me for it. That was the hardest part of all.
Erma Bombeck
What do you think of “A Mother’s Love” by Erma Bombeck? Does it resonate with you too? Leave a comment below and let us know — we’d love to hear from you.
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If this touched a nerve, you might also love:
- “If I Had My Life to Live Over” by Erma Bombeck
- The Last Time Poem (have a tissue handy!)
- To My Son I Sometimes Wish
Save This for the Hard Days
Some days motherhood feels like nothing but “no.” Bookmark or share this one so it’s there next time you need reminding why you said it.
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