May 13, 2007
Happy Mother’s Day
Parents love and care for their children without asking for anything in return. As infants we were completely dependent on others to care for us. We relied on our parents to feed us, change our clothes and diapers, bathe us and comfort us. They did all of this day after day and month after month without compensation. When we grew a little older, our parents made sure we went to school and did our homework, fed us and sheltered us without charging room and board. As adults, it is important that we appreciate the selfless love that we have received from our parents throughout our lives. By appreciating their love, we develop peace and happiness.
In past services, you may have heard me talk about my childhood and my mother. As you may know, my father died when I was an infant. At six months old, my mother remarried and I went to live with my aunt and uncle. I did not meet my mother until I was in grammar school. When I was in junior high school, I went to stay with my mother and her family for three weeks during summer vacation. During my visit, my mother wanted to show me how much she loved me by giving me special attention. However, she had to behave very carefully around me. She already had six other children, 2 of her own from her present marriage, 3 who were from her husband’s previous marriage and 1 niece who she had adopted. If my mother treated me any differently, my stepsiblings would think, "Mother loves Akira more than she loves us." I remember my mother whispering to me so that no one would hear. She told me that she wanted to give me an extra piece of sweet potato for dessert, but she couldn’t because everyone was watching how she acted toward me. At the time, I didn’t think much about what she was saying. I had no idea how she felt having to live apart from me and having someone else raise me. I was just having fun playing with my step-brothers and sisters. I probably wondered why my mother was making such a big deal about a piece of dessert.
Not until years later, when I was twenty-seven, did I experience my mother’s love. I remember making a trip from Tokyo to Kyoto by train. A few times, my mother said that she would accompany me to the train station to see me off. I told her that I knew how to get to the train station and that there was no need for her to come along. At the time, I wondered why she insisted on seeing me off and went to the station on my own. At some point in my journey, it hit me that my mother wanted to see me off to show me how much she cared for me. For the first time, I felt my mother’s love and was deeply moved. For the first time in my life, I was sincerely appreciative of my mother’s love. Her love took root in my heart and filled me with joy. Many years ago, I thanked my mother for her love and she accepted my thanks.
Love has the power to heal us and to bring us happiness. We only need to remember one time when our mothers showed us their love in order for their love to fill us with joy. If your mother passed away when you were a baby you can still experience her love through prayer. When we are able to appreciate our mother’s love, using just one memory, our hearts and our lives will be filled with joy and love.