With the recent celebration of Mother’s Day, I found myself pondering the many meanings of motherhood. It is a layered and complex role which, when thinking about it’s meaning, sent me on varied paths.
Of course, I thought about my own mother, getting a card (hopefully homemade) off to her and trying in someway to show her how much I love, respect, appreciate and couldn’t be the woman that I am without her. Every year, I’m convinced there are no words to adequately convey to her the importance of her existence for my existence.
My mind then led me to my own role as a mother. The thousands of layers of emotion, responsibility, challenge, gratitude and understanding that come with this role, have penetrated who I am to the core. Here and in my beloved child is where my heart now resides. As my existence is forever woven to my role as a mother, my connection to the world is that much deeper.
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I can think of no more intimate bond than that between mother and child. This profound connection is in our biology. Our beginnings begin inside our mothers. Our first growth, nurturing and composition as human beings happen while cradled in our mother’s womb. Whether you have a relationship with your mother or not, you undeniably began in her. This universality of being human binds us in a way that no amount of money, religion, politics, morals, age, geography, education, government, language or ethnicity can change. It is a vital and essential morsel in the equation of being human that makes us more similar than not.
Perhaps if we could all remember the basic fact, that we all began in the womb of a woman, we would feel more connected, more compassion and peace towards each other.
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Of course, mothers are not merely vessels for human reproduction. We are some of the most important and inspired teachers on the planet. The molding of our world literally begins with the raising of our children. There are a plethora of mothers who cherish this role and are inspired to share this inspiration via the modern day wallet photo, the blog. While some are beautiful, some funny, some informative and touching, all inspire me as a mother and a person. Here’s a smattering of my favorite momspiration blogs.
In case you have friends or family in different parts of the world, here’s a link to the different Mother’s Day celebrations around the globe. I love thinking about the different ways in which mothers are celebrated in different cultures. A friend who recently moved to Singapore with her husband and two girls shared that Mother's Day is a huge event in Singapore. Stores are decorated, bakeries are filled with special treats and restaurants are booked weeks in advance.
From a greeting card for my mother, to our shared humanity and finally to the virtual network of mommyhood is where I found myself mentally wondering in anticipation of Mother’s Day 2011. I am blessed to have the presence of such an amazing mother in my life and to experience motherhood myself. I am also so grateful to all of the mothers ou there who make contributions big and small that inspire and support me on a daily basis. We are lucky to live in a culture that acknowledges the importance of mother's and supports their role in our culture as a whole.