The Other Cord

When babies are born the umbilical cord that connected them to their mothers is cut and tied. But another cord is created. It's the invisible one that connects them to their mothers' hearts and that one will last as long as the mother lives. I call it the heart cord.

When the mother and her child are near each other the cord hangs loose because the mother can easily see what's happening to her child, but when they are separated, the cord is pulled tight and tugs on the mother's heart. Sometimes, especially if the separation is emotional, that tugging can be painful.

Even if a child was given up for adoption or the mother was dysfunctional, that cord is still there, though it may be thin and weak. And adoptive mothers develop a heart cord that's as strong as the birth kind.

As a young adult I sometimes found my mother's tendency to want to be involved in my life and take care of me a bit annoying. But now that I'm the mother of a grown daughter myself I understand why she acted that way. The heart cord can never relax unless the mother is certain everything is going well for her child.

My mother is no longer with us, but the cord that connected us still touches my heart.

Of course that's not the only heart cord. We are tied, heart to heart, with everyone we love and nothing makes us happier than having all the cords woven together into a fabric that covers and protects all of us. We can be grateful for all the other love and friendships in our lives.

But the heart cord that ties mother to child is amazingly strong and on Mothers' Day I hope everyone who reads this is aware of the heart cord between themselves and their mothers..