Small Hands of a Mother

“The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strength nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet it is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: Small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.” J.R.R. Tolkien

There are many “musts” in motherhood. We must feed our children, we must tend them, we must nurture, we must teach. These duties may weigh on us – yet these deeds are profoundly important. As Tolkien says, worldly strength and wisdom can only get us so far. On the quest for a better world, it is the dutiful “small hands” of a mother – feeding our family, reading stories, wiping away our child’s tears- that determine the direction of the wheels of the world. Those defining moments, found in the safety and nurture of our mothers care, can guide us for eternity. Others may scorn “musts”, seeking status and praise – but their eyes will be elsewhere as mothers shift the culture towards light, by doing small deeds with purpose and direction.