A Mother's Tear

"Why are you crying?" he asked his Mom. "Because I'm a mother," she told him. "I don't understand," he said. His mom
just hugged him to her and said, "You never will."

Later the little boy asked his father why Mother seemed to cry for no reason. "All mothers cry for no reason," was all his dad could say. The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why mothers cry.

One night, he had a dream. In his dream, he called God on the telephone. When God came to the phone the man asked, "God, why do mothers cry so easily?"

God answered him, "My son, you see, when I made mothers, I knew they had to be special. I made their shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave them an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times come from their children and mates. I gave them a hardiness that allows them to keep going when everyone else gives up, and to take care of their families through sickness and fatigue without complaining. I gave them the sensitivity to love their children under all circumstances, even when their child has hurt them very badly. This same sensitivity helps them to make a child's boo-boo feel better and helps them share a teenager's anxieties and fears. I gave them a tear to shed. It's theirs, exclusively, to use whenever needed. It's their only weakness. It is a tear for mankind."