By Shira Kline, based on a folk tale, origin unknown.
Please let me know if you have the source!

Chana was just about that age. That age when she wanted to know everything, felt like she should know everything, and sometimes got a little mad if someone else knew everything. Chana did very well in school and was often heard saying, “I know, I know.” When her mom asked her if she would like to go to the museum to see the new exhibit on ancient Egypt, Chana just said, “I already know about all that stuff.” And when Chana’s dad asked her if she would like some help with her writing homework, she said, “Dad! I know how to do this. I don’t need any help!” And so, Chana’s mom and dad let her do her thing and sometimes tried to stay out of her way.

One day, something came up that Chana did not know.

Her Religious School teacher asked, “How can we see God?” At first Chana thought, “Well everyone knows that God is everywhere. That’s a weird question.” And when one student suggested, “Maybe we can see God in heaven,” Chana thought, “You can’t see heaven!” She listened to a few other answers from her class mates, but none of them seemed to make sense. See God in a mountain? See God in the ocean? This started to make Chana feel upset! How do we see God?

Later that evening at home, Chana told her parents about her dilemma. She was truly puzzled by this question.

Chana’s mom smiled and said, “Well, what do you think God looks like?” The last thing Chana wanted to do was admit that she didn’t know, so instead she crossed her arms, furrowed her eyebrows and pursed her lips.

“Well,” said Chana’s mom, “I’ll tell you what I know. God looks like love.” Chana’s eyebrows shot up with surprise and her chin pushed forward. She looked away, silently considering what in the world her mother could be talking about. “I think,” Chana’s mom continued, “ that God looks like shining light and warmth.” Slowly Chana’s lips formed a frown as she doubted that her mother even understood the question. Chana’s mom didn’t seem to notice. “God looks like life!” she went on. “And life is full of color and questions and laughter and even crying. God looks like all of these things.”

Finally Chana could hold it in no longer. “But Mom! How? How do we see God? That’s the question!”

“Oh! That’s the easiest part” Chana’s mom said with a smile. Chana sighed and looked up at her mom impatiently. She watched as her mom got up from the table and went into her bedroom. She came back with a mirror in her hand and offered it to Chana. With a slight roll of the eyes, but curious eyes at least, Chana accepted the mirror and did what anyone does with a mirror. She gazed into the mirror and saw her own reflection. Chana’s mom sat back and smiled an even bigger smile. “See?” she asked.

“See?” repeated Chana. “See what?”

Her mom looked patiently over Chana’s shoulders so that she could see her daughter’s face in the mirror. “See the shining light in your eyes?” Chana’s eyes widened and she held the mirror closer. “See that expression? Wondering, questioning, guessing? See how your face is so full of life?” By this time, Chana was holding the mirror so close to her face that her breath fogged the mirror just a bit. “See that? See your breath?” her mom asked excitedly. “That’s how we see God! We see God in our ourselves!”

Suddenly Chana burst into laughter and she smiled a big wide grin up at her mom. “How did you know all that?” she asked. Her mom’s eyes twinkled and she answered, “Oh, these are the things that a mother knows.” Together they looked into the mirror and saw as their own reflections radiated love and warmth and color and questions and laughter and even some crying.

“Thanks mom,” Chana said quietly with a hug.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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Posted in Holidays, Stories