Dear Mom,

Dear beautiful mother of God. How did you do it? How did you say yes knowing you could have been stoned to death for being pregnant outside of matrimony? How did you feel when an angel came to visit you? Dear Mary, how were you able to open your heart like that?

How did it feel to have your baby, the son of God, knowing He could only rest His head on a manger. When they told you your heart would hurt as if a sword was driven through it, did you regret it? Did you get scared? Dear mother, how are you so beautiful? It is almost as if the pain you went through made you stronger, but your torn heart is not calloused. It is not hardened. Beautiful mother, did you have someone to hold your hand? Did you have someone to wipe your tears? Does it still hurt?

Virgin Mary, beautiful mother, I want to love like you do. I want to love those who hurt me, who hurt the ones I love, who betray me, just because I know God loves them, and I want to love God above all else. Dear lady, teach me to love. Teach me that fear shouldn't hold me back. I am so concerned with worries and fears that I forget to love. That is all you did though, love. I want to love. I want to fall in love with God everyday. I want Him to be the person I turn to when I am sad. I want to be able to listen to others even when my heart is broken because I trust that God is putting it back together.

Your face is that of peace. Your hands stretched out without judgement, without fear, without regret. I want to live like that. I want to love like that. Virgin Mary, beautiful mother, don't cry alone anymore. Let me hold your hand. Let me share your pain. Let me love Jesus like you do and follow God like you do. Because I'd rather have my heart broken trying to love Him than breaking His heart by denying His love. Teach us to pray. Teach us to fear. Teach us to trust that God is greater than our fears, than our regrets, than our plans.

Mary, beautiful mother, beautiful woman, teach me to be like you. Let me cry with you. Let me laugh with you. Let me love with you. Reach out to young women and men everywhere. We don't know how to love anymore. Everyone is scared. Everyone is tired. Everyone is broken. If anyone can teach us to love Jesus again, to trust in Him again, to follow Him again, it is you. I am sure of it. Just like the moon reflects the sun's light, you reflect the Son's wonder and beauty and grace.

Love,

One of your daughters who wants to learn how to love