If you come to Google ‘Blessing’ or ‘Prayer for Mum’ you could get a bit frustrated. All the so called prayers for Mum open with words like “Dear Lord,” “Jesus,” “Lord Today I Pray” “Dearest Saint Joseph” – one even opens – “God of Heaven’s Armies”. Amazing!
I understand those people who need traditional words to praise their mother, but I also feel we do not always need blokes to help us pray for a Mum. A mother is sacred in her own right, and special to you and me, without guidance from others.
Here is a blessing for Mum, and a selection of pictures of my Sister, my Mum and my Grandma – just some of my family’s mums in life. The prayer comes from the new website – Prayers for Everyone.
A Blessing for Mum
Is there anything Like a Mum? No way
Is there anyone We would rather bless Today? No way
My Mum… our Mum Is the mostest The crème de la crème The dream de la dream
Feeding us – Caring for us – Laughing at us – Yelling at us – Supporting us – Ultimate top-notch Mum Mother superior In every way
Which is why We bless her and love her And feel close to her In a zillion ways
She made us What we are
Thank you, Mum
My MumMy Grandma, photographed over 100 years ago, with the twins – Gertrude (my mum) and Alfred. Wow! Time flies when you are having fun!
I play cards a lot. I’ve done it all my life. There is something very special about sitting down with friends and playing a game that challenges one a bit, but does not push one far enough to generate bad feelings. The games I play involve acceptance and generous congratulations for the winner or winners – whoever they may be. I only play games with good friends. In contrast, my mother had a real horror of card games that involved any kind of gambling. She came from an abjectly poor family with two brothers and many cousins and had experienced some horrible conflicts arising from bitterly competitive card games where money was involved.
The best card games feature a combination of skill and luck. I play two games on a fairly regular basis – an Italian form of Canasta, known as Samba (in this country) and also Poker. These two games are very different, but still take me to places that remind me of life skills and lessons that are difficult to learn. Samba, described as ‘Canasta on speed’ is a terrifying and addictive, and is played with a partner. As one rises above the first levels of play, one acquires handicaps that can bring down fast-speeding front-runners as quickly as one likes. There is no place for arrogance… at least not for too long. Italian Canasta also has a built-in tension factor, as the four players fight-tooth-and-nail to gain a pile of cards that will set them up with a higher score. Every now and again, as we sit around the card table, some anxious but jolly player will ask why we choose to create so much stress for ourselves… just for a card game!
An entirely different kettle of fish is poker – two kinds – Texas Hold’em, with two cards, plus the flop of five, or Omaha with four cards plus the flop. The game is usually adjusted to the number of players at the time. Money is also involved, albeit small sums. With poker there is skill in reading people, making sure that others don’t read you, but also in working out whether the cards have potential, or imagining what the others might have in their hands. The problem arises when one just does not have good cards, and there is little or no room for manoeuvre when this happens. Having bad cards is demoralising – like failing to get to a good drop shot (in tennis) – or being rejected by an official body when one thinks one has done something brilliant. Bad cards are like the bad turns in life that lead one questioning oneself and one’s skills, which is why one has to play cards with a touch of optimism, faith and enthusiasm… alternatively just keep to playing cards with friends, and keep the stakes to a minimum and stay happy.
Games… including card games teach one about life, but sadly the lessons are not always easily learned. If one is on a winning streak it is a great feeling, but countering that are so many emotions that can spoil things. Does one deserve to win? Is it unkind to others? Is this war or just a bloody silly game? If one is constantly winning is it because one is just utterly brilliant? Possibly yes; more probably no.
The one thing that pushes the sweetness and kindness out of the window is playing games with one’s three teenage nephews, and then one gets a real sense of the bitter struggle, the silliness and vicious punch-ups necessary for survival. Many years later I am glad to say that we are all alive to tell the tale, but I think I might leave out some kinds of board games. Monopoly and Hotel are far too scary for me.
With the certainty of the sunrise may the ball rise above me waiting to be placed
May the flight of the sphere with its cosmic grace be a perfect trajectory defying space and time
So, as I turn agile and angled I let fly
My heart sings as the sphere soars higher and higher only to come down to an invitation to sweep wide an earthly motion skimming controlled power like a stone on water
May my racquet be my friend may the ball travel wherever I wish may the net serve as a gentle reminder may I have confidence in myself may I respect my opponent
May this game bring joy to me to those I love in this… our interstellar world
