MOTHER MARY

The woman on the other end of the line hesitated.  She spoke haltingly, shyly even.  

“Ok, this is going to sound really crazy.”

“I’m ready.” 

“You’re with La Leche League, Right?  The group that helps breastfeeding Moms.” 

“Yeah, that’s right.”  I waited. 

“Well, this is a very strange request and if I was calling you, I would think I was crazy but I need to do this.” 

I had talked to a lot of Moms about their breast-feeding  problems and very little shocked or surprised me at this point.  

“I’m not Catholic.  I’m not even a religious person.”

I wasn’t sure what this had to do with breastfeeding problems but I waited willing her to the point of her call. 

“Ok, I’ll just say it.  I had a vision.” 

“A vision?” 

“Yes, a vision of the Virgin Mary.   At least, that’s who she said she was.” 

I remained silent.

“She told me I needed to hang a picture of her in the Newborn Nursery at Marin General Hospital.  She told me to call La Leche League.  That you would be able to help me.”

She chuckled and quickly added “Really, I understand if you just think I’m some kind of wacko but nothing like this has ever happened to me before and I feel this very strong need to follow these instructions.  I tried to ignore it but she won’t leave me alone.” 

I hesitated, not sure how to respond.  

“Well, you’re not laughing and you haven’t hung up” she said.

“I’m just not sure what I can do for you.” 

She sighs, “Well can you think of any reason why she thinks La Leche League would be the one to call?”  

I’m trying to follow this line of thinking.  Assuming this really happened to her because why assume anything else, why WOULD the Virgin Mary send her to us?  

“Well, let’s see.  I would think it would be very difficult to get a religious picture hung in any part of a public hospital.  I’m not sure how you’re going to accomplish this.”  

“Well, neither am I but I have to try.  Please can you help?” 

“Perhaps you could find a picture of Mary breastfeeding Jesus.  I know there are pictures out there like that.  Maybe she felt that you would more likely be able to get a picture of her breast-feeding Jesus in the Nursery.  Maybe you could find one of Mary breastfeeding Jesus that doesn’t look like a religious picture. You might get away with that.”  

I couldn’t help but ask “Do you know why she wanted you to hang this picture?” 

“No, I have no idea.  This is just all so weird to me.  Thank you for not thinking I’m crazy.  If I figure it out I’ll let you know.  I’ll try the breastfeeding angle.  Sounds as good as anything I have thought up.  Thank you.  Thank you for your time.”  

I hung up the phone.   Ok that definitely rates as one of the stranger phone calls I have gotten on our breastfeeding hot line.  

I have never forgotten this woman.   Sometimes when I think about this story I wonder if it really happened.  It sounds like such a bizarre call to have gotten and yet it’s equally bizarre to think it didn’t happen and I just imagined it.  The thing that struck me most about this woman was that she sounded so sane and knew how unbelievable she sounded and although unable to explain or accept what happened to her, she had an uncontrollable need to follow through on it.  I would say it was her strong faith but she told me she wasn’t Catholic or even religious.  She seemed as surprised to be making the call as I was to get it.  She sounded annoyed with herself, with the Virgin Mary, with the fact that she even had to spend time following these instructions and yet she was driven to do so.  Usually people who are crazy don’t think they are crazy but she knew very well that she sounded crazy.  So she wasn’t crazy.  

I actually love the idea of the Virgin Mary and whenever I pray, I pray to her because I figure she’s a mother and she will have the most compassion of anyone up there.  Sometimes I pray to my Mom but I don’t think she has as much power as the Virgin Mary so if it’s something really big I go back to Mary.  And I usually pray to her with the rosary.  I love praying the rosary - the repetition of it is very meditative and contemplative, it has a modus operandi, a goal, a feeling of accomplishment once you have finished.  Plus I figure since it’s mostly Hail Marys then it might make Mary more cooperative.  I’ve heard she’s a big proponent of the rosary and gives it out often when she appears to people.  I wonder if she gave one to my not crazy lady looking for the picture.

I often think what would I have done if this happened to me?  And I have to admit that I would follow through on it as best I could because why take the chance?  I would rather err on the side of caution than dismiss the whole experience only to have the hospital cave in and kill all of the mothers and babies inside.  I would rather err on the side of caution than dismiss the whole experience only to have the Virgin Mary be angry at me and end up in some god forsaken place when I died.  I would rather err on the side of caution than dismiss the whole experience only to have the apocalypse arrive at our feet when I could have prevented any of these things by merely getting a picture of the Virgin Mary in the hospital nursery.  

So, just so you all know, if the Virgin Mary appears to me, I’ve got us covered.