Mother’s Day

It’s Mother’s Day today and I’m making a late start after a quiet morning.  As a family we are taking a rain cheque and will celebrate the day at another time when everyone is at home.  The quiet time today has also given me the opportunity to think about what this day means to me.  Like all parents, over the years, I developed my own views on being a mother.

For me motherhood is a chosen way of life. At its core is conscious living. It is a constant testing of who you are as a person and the choices you make. It is active role modelling like no other.  It is a tree that gives shade. It is a flame that torches reality or a pin that bursts a bubble. It is a balm that soothes pain. It is a neon sign that says, “I’m here” and it is bigger and brightest during the darkest night, when the way is lost for mother and child. It is the loudest cheerleader that says, “I knew you would make it”. It is a shield that says, “I’m prepared to die for you”. It is a confessional where all is forgiven. It is the gateway to learning forgiveness that reads, “we all make mistakes, let’s start again”. It is a promise (or threat!), “I’m by your side, whether you like it or not, now and always.” It is a human embrace like no other.

Being a mother is the role I value and cherish most in my life and one that I wish to be remembered for.  Without my children’s father I would not be a mother today, so I am grateful to him for that.  And, I’m grateful to my children for giving me the experience of motherhood every single day.  It is a yearning from early childhood that has never diminished.

Happy Mother’s Day where ever you may be.  May your day be blessed with love and laughter.