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THE CHOOSING OF SPECIAL MOTHERS
Somehow, I visualize God hovering over earth,
selecting his instruments for propagation with great care,
and instructing his angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron saint, Mathew."
"Forest, Marjorie, daughter. Patron saint, Cecilia"
"Rutledge, Carrie, twins. Patron saint...give her Gerard. He's quite used
to profanity".
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles," Give her a disabled
child."
The angel is curious." Why this one,God? She's so happy."
"Exactly," smiles God." Could I give a disabled child a mother who
doesn't know laughter? That would be cruel."
"But does she have patience?" asks the angel.
"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea of despair. Once
the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it. I watched her today. She
has a sense of independence that's so rare and
necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his
own world. She has to make him/she live in her world, and that's not going
to be easy."
"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."
God smiles." No matter, I can fix that. This one's perfect. She has just
enough selfishness."
The angel gasps."Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"
God nods." If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally,
she'll never survive. Yes, here's a woman whom I'll bless with a child
less-than-perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she's to be envied.
"She'll never take for granted a spoken word. She'll never consider a
step ordinary. When her child says'Mummy'for the first time, she'll witness a miracle-AND she'll know
it. When she describes a tree or a
sunset to her blind child, she'll see it as few people ever see my
creations."
"I'll permit her to see clearly the other things I see - ignorance,
cruelty, prejudice - and allow her to rise above them. And because she's
always doing my work I'll be at her side every minute of every day."
"What about her patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised.