Sunday, May 8, 2011

To All Moms, On Your Day


Mothers all around the world, I bow to you in reverence. 

One of the first thoughts I had after giving birth to my child was, “Wow, I have a whole new respect for every woman who has had a baby.”  And in the three months since my son was born, that appreciation has only deepened.  I don’t need to list the tasks and challenges that reinforce this for me every day.  You’re mothers.  You know.

What an amazing thing you mothers have done.  You’re truly allowing God to work through you in the creation of life.  Most people think that creation ends with the transition from pregnancy to birth, but let’s face it, those children still need mothers (and fathers too!) to thrive on this earth. Your unconditional love is a touchstone in confusing times.  Your protection fosters trust.  Your authority teaches temperance.

In the last month of my pregnancy I started to sense something transcendent in the mothers around me as they watched me prepare for the amazing rite of passage of having a child.  In looking at me, they were reliving their own birth experiences, their own first days of motherhood.  And I realized, we’re all taking turns channeling the endless, beautiful energy of creation. 

In Christianity and Judaism, God is often referred to as a father.  But God is a mother too: creating, nurturing, guiding.  My yoga teacher, Ma Jaya, is the first person I heard to refer to God as “The Mother,” and there is such truth and beauty to that.
My Mom, Her Mom and Me (Pregnant with Wells)

So to my own mother, I say thank you. And I finally understand how much you love me, that you would truly do anything for me.  I love you too!  To my grandmother, who gave birth to eight children and is now 80 years old, you are an amazingly strong and vibrant woman.  I love you, and I thank you for raising my mother.

We spend our whole lives learning to grow up and away from our mothers, to be independent, cutting that proverbial cord and learning to make our own decisions and mistakes.  As mothers, it’s our job to let our children do that.  But today is the day to come back.  If you can today, rest your head on your mother’s shoulder and give her a hug.  It’s what she wants.  What woman ever got enough of holding her baby?

I'm so grateful to all of you moms.  I hope your day and every day is beautiful and leaves your eyes wide with the wonder of it all.