A Butterfly for my Forever Mom

Blogging and Bloggers, Nature, rob goldstein, San Francisco

Art by Rob Goldstein

A year ago Linda Bethea and her Mother, Kathleen Swain, did two of the nicest things two strangers have ever done for me.

Linda sent me the gift of a hand designed bag and Kathleen sent me a drawing and a hand written note that claimed me as her Forever Son.

At the time I didn’t know what that term meant.

When I looked it up and saw the definition I was touched on so many levels of emotion that I hardly knew what to do.

A year later and I see how that gesture of compassion healed me in ways that I still don’t fully fathom.

What I do know is that it was an act that changed my life for the better.

When we help to make the lives of other people better we make life better for ourselves as well.

I never forget an act of kindness.

Thank you to Linda and to your wonderful Mother.

There is more grace in my life because of you.

Rob Goldstein 2016

44 thoughts on “A Butterfly for my Forever Mom”

  3. This is so lovely , Robert. I had to think about it so long before commenting. You are such a wonderful person, we both wanted to reach out to you. I will show this to Mother and share her reaction with you.

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    1. It really can…It can make a life better…and when a whole community decides to being kindness into its politics it increases prosperity for everyone in that community. What is Social Security if not an act of kindness toward ourselves and each other as we reach old age

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      3. I think it’s pretty cool that we often don’t have a visual and sometimes don’t even have a name, so the interaction is based on hearts and minds without the clutter. In some ways it feels more real than relationships with all the trimmings :-).

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      4. In many ways they do feel more real; especially if one has managed to find people who understand that they have to work harder and be more scrupulous than we’d have to be in everyday life. It can be awful when you run into a set of pathological people who don’t feel obliged to control themselves. I defined mental health as the willingness and the ability to manage symptomatic behaviors.

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  8. That brought tears to my eyes, Robert. I met Linda and her mom last October and they are as warm-hearted and loving as you describe it here. Both are two of the most compassionate and soulful persons I was blessed to meet in my life. Their generosity is beyond words.

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