Life began with waking up and loving my mother's face.

Hear, O seekers of tenderness and truth, the gentle yet powerful words of George Eliot: “Life began with waking up and loving my mother’s face.” In this simple utterance lies a universe of meaning, for it reminds us that the first encounter with love, the first stirring of awareness, is not in triumph, nor in riches, nor in conquest, but in the gaze of a mother. The face of the mother is the first temple, the first scripture, the first revelation of what it means to belong and to be cherished.

The origin of these words comes from the pen of Mary Ann Evans, who wrote under the name George Eliot, one of the great voices of English letters. Known for her profound insight into human hearts, Eliot understood that the root of all life and virtue begins in affection. She looked beyond the grand philosophies and systems of thought, returning to the intimate and the humble: the bond between child and mother. In her words we hear the wisdom of the ancients who proclaimed that love is the foundation of all things, and that without it, existence is but an empty shadow.

The meaning here is both emotional and eternal. To awaken to a mother’s love is to awaken to life itself. Before the world teaches us harshness, before struggle leaves its mark, the child finds safety, warmth, and identity in the mother’s presence. This is why Eliot declares that life begins there—for in that moment, the soul learns the pattern of love, which it will spend its days seeking, echoing, and sharing with others. To forget this beginning is to lose sight of what it means to be human.

Consider the story of Abraham Lincoln, who, after the early death of his mother Nancy, carried her memory all his days. He once said, “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” Though he became a figure of history, leading a nation through its darkest hour, his greatness was rooted in the tenderness of a mother’s face remembered from boyhood. This mirrors Eliot’s truth: that the greatest destinies are often nourished first in the quiet gaze of maternal love.

Yet Eliot’s words also reach beyond one family. They remind us of the power of nurture itself, of those who care for the vulnerable and shape the hearts of the young. Not every child may know their mother’s love, but whenever compassion is given—by a parent, a guardian, a teacher, or a friend—it becomes the beginning of life for the soul who receives it. Love awakens, teaches, and gives meaning, just as the sun gives light to the earth.

The lesson for us is profound: never forget the roots of your life in love. Honor your parents if you can, or honor the ones who showed you care in your youth. Remember that life is not measured by possessions or titles, but by the love that sustains us and the love we give in return. If your beginning was marked by tenderness, cherish it. If it was marked by hardship, seek to be the one who offers that tenderness to others, so that their lives, too, may begin anew.

Practical actions lie before you: Take time to express gratitude to your mother, or to those who mothered you in spirit. Speak words of appreciation while there is yet time. If you have children, let them see in your face the light of unconditional love, for in your gaze their world will be formed. And in your dealings with others, let compassion be your guide, for in every gentle act you may awaken life in another.

Thus, remember the wisdom of George Eliot: life begins with love, and it is love that makes it worth living. As the child awakens to the mother’s face, so too must we awaken each day to the power of compassion, carrying it forward into the world. And if you live this way, your life will not only begin in love—it will end in love, and echo with love through generations yet unborn.