September 18, 2021

A Mother's Love

This summer, my oldest daughter, her husband and their one year old son moved to Japan with the US Military. My daughter was pregnant, and a couple months after they arrived she went into pre-term labor and had her baby 6 weeks early. The military hospital didn’t have the facilities to care for the baby, so she was rushed off to a Japanese NICU.

My daughter struggled horribly. Recovering from the emergency c-section, missing her baby, caring for her 16 month old son, dealing with postpartum depression, not to mention the culture shock. All without an established support system.

My heart broke for her. In a pre-COVID world, I would have been on the first flight out there. But I could do nothing for her but listen to her troubles, express my love, pray for her and send flowers to make her smile.

I think I got a little taste of how our Mother in Heaven feels. She loves us so much, and hates to see us struggle. Her love can transcend the distance between us, and if we stop to notice, we can feel it. I like to think that the beauty and the wonder in the world are our Heavenly Parents’ gifts to us, to ease our burdens and to make us smile.

I’m in Japan now, helping my daughter, waiting for baby to be released. So happy to be able to finally help, so eager to get my granddaughter home.

I was invited to be a part of the Certain Women Art Show that is held every two years, featuring women from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The theme is Reflections on a Mother in Heaven. I titled my piece, "A Mother's Love," and I told this story.

certain women