When my Mother hugged me

The other morning I was in bed half awake, half asleep, in the predawn hours. For some reason I was thinking about my Mother. Like most children and their parents the relationship between my Mother and me was complex.
She has been gone for several years now and I don't know why she was on my mind that particular morning. I was remembering the strength she had in her arms and hands. Maybe from growing up in the country doing hard physical labor, who knows. But when she hugged me it was often fierce. You knew you were hugged and felt the love and energy pass from her to you. I could feel her again and it was a good feeling. One thing I always knew was that we loved each other.
The tag line to my dream was this thought: at least when my Mother hugged me, I always hugged her back.
There were tears in my eyes as I awoke and I said a silent prayer for both of us.