Unconditional Love

It's 9 am and I'm sitting drinking a large glass of whisky, only the first, I'm sure. No, I'm not an alcoholic,[though a self-confessed lush!] I have just dropped my 29 year old son off at the station on the first leg of a journey to Australia, where he may spend a few weeks, months, or a year - who knows? Because he was planning this trip, he vacated his rented house and returned home for the week before he left. Thus, I was inevitably involved in the preparations. He has left my house a complete tip, his things scattered all over the place. Am I complaining? No, he has been gone an hour, and I'm walking round stroking his dear jackets and old socks.

What is it about the love of a mother? My son has not really been very nice to me, never been considerate to me. He has always taken anything he wanted from me, which has always been freely given, but he has always pushed me away if I have threatened to get too involved in his life All this has been tolerated, even fostered by me, in a desperate wish to please him and make him happy, though I'm not saying I'm a complete doormat. I can give as good as I get!

I will not be chastised for the way in which my son and I have allowed our relationship to develop, because that's just the way it is. All mother-child relationships are very different, but there is no doubt that it is a unique one. My own belief is that it is rare for a grown-up child to love its parents as much as the parents love them., or perhaps put another way, parents play a much lesser role in their offspring's lives than the other way round.This is how it should be of course for grown children who have successful lives of their own.

When my son left me at the station this morning, he did thank me for all I'd done for him, but his parting words were that I nagged far too much, and he couldn't wait to get away. Yet I loved him with all my heart, and do you know what?

I know he loves me!