The Heart of a Mother: Reflections of a Teaching Sister

Some would say I am not a mother since I have not carried the new life of an unborn baby within my womb. Some would say I am not a mother since I have not fostered or adopted a child in need of a loving home. Some would say I will never know the love a mother has for her child. Some would say I will never know the pride a mother has when her child reaches a milestone. Some would say I will never know the pain a mother has when her child is suffering.
 
These people are right – but not completely.

I have the heart of a mother when a child comes to school in the same clothes every day for a week. I have the heart of a mother when children arrive not having eaten since the lunch I provided the day before. I have the heart of a mother when a child doesn’t know if anyone will be home for them after school. I have the heart of a mother when I find boots for the child whose feet are wet and cold on winter mornings. I have the heart of a mother when a sick child needs to be held while waiting to see if there is anyone to take them home.  I have the heart of a mother soothing a sobbing child while bandaging a scraped knee. I have the heart of a mother that bursts with joy when the struggling child has that light bulb moment. I have the heart of a mother shedding tears in secret when the angry child lashes out at school because it is not safe to do so at home.
 
I have the heart of a mother when a little girl flies at me with the biggest hug she can give. I have the heart of a mother when a little boy’s fist thrusts dandelions and weeds into my hand at the end of recess. I have the heart of a mother on a Friday afternoon, wondering what her students will go through on the weekend. I have the heart of a mother on a Monday morning, trying to help pick up the pieces from that difficult weekend. I have the heart of a mother, overflowing with gratitude for the parents that recognize and understand that their child’s teacher has the heart of a mother.
 
I have never given birth to a child or given a home to a little one in need. I have no children who carry my name or my genes.
 
Yes, I have no children but there are hundreds whom I have called “my kids” not just for the nine or ten months that I taught them but also in the years following as I have continued to carry them in my heart. Yes, I have no children but I have the heart of a mother.
 
 Stephanie Romiti, csj