how do you define a mother's love...

Several years ago the rains came, inland flooding, roads washed out. Taking side roads, I wound my way home to the farm, bypassing bridges that could no longer be safely crossed. Checking on the animals, I counted little noses, making sure each was safe & sound in their barn. The ground water level was so high that even the creatures of the earth...worms, were abandoning their homes for higher ground. Nature was moving upward, seeking safety.

Peaking in the nesting box tucked under the barn stairs, I anticipated finding momma Hope with her tiny litter, just several weeks old. Empty. Empty. No teeny noses to count - empty. The rains pounded on the tin roof, my heart raced. And then there she was, leading me to a large plastic trash can with a lawn mower grass bag set open & upward inside. Deep within this double boat were three baby kittens. Hope had dropped them inside.

And that is the best way I can define a mother's love.

Happy Mother's Day!