Why these words came as a post title, I do not know. I only know the topic of mothering is up for discussion as I continue writing about the new children, as the newborn baby is crying next door, as I hold crying women each day - mothers who are weeping to help their children and as I continue mothering my two sons and myself from day to day. Mothering is not exclusive to children, we do mother ourselves and others quite often. Mothering as in holding, nurturing, caring and loving, as a practice and a way of being. Mothers often have this way of being that never changes. It's kind of how once you've had a newborn and rocked it to sleep a million times, how you can find yourself for the rest of your life rocking back and forth for no apparent reason no matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, the motion just becomes so ingrained in your muscle memory. Mothering is this calling that women have, that some women listen to more than others. Mothering in the modern world is sort of a lost art for many women. Women have grown accustomed to birthing in hospitals, bottle feeding, and going back to work. Women have grown accustomed to making certain kinds of sacrifices, this is the nature of being a woman. And I know many modern mothers who are not in that space of welcoming motherhood, of sacrificing the material to raise their children, or who give their power away to others as they go through the many initiations of mothering.
As a woman, I can understand why this is the case. We have very few female role models who are great mothers to learn from. Since the Women's Lib movement, women became determined to become like men. Women chose to give up their art of mothering to learn how to live in a man's world rather than insisting that men adjust back to a woman's world. Today, we are seeing a re-balance and shift beginning. More and more women are wanting to stay home, birth at home, home school and return to more natural ways of living and being. While this represents a small minority of women in the westernized world, at least we see a popular culture move in this direction.
For a woman, there is something sacred about the simplicity of motherhood. When I look at natural pregnancy and childbirth practices, breastfeeding, and raising my own children, I forget all the uninterrupted minutes of every day I spent with my young children. Those first few years go by so quickly, it's so cliche and so true. There is nothing better than knowing I was at home with my boys those first few years uninterrupted no matter how hard it was. As a woman, I would never sacrifice that time for anything or anyone else. I would never give my power away and choose to leave mothering in the early years of my child's life. I say this because it is a choice all women make. And many of us might say that we don't have a choice, but is that really true? Don't we all have a choice all the time? I know myself, and I know I would sacrifice anything to spend this time with my children. This isn't me saying do what I do. This is me saying it's not easy and yet I am determined no matter what, that it is what I want and therefore what will be. And for all women, I want to see them understand this truth. That if it is willed, desired and intended, that it can be, therefore make a decision for yourself and stick to it. Don't let anyone else convince you of what you do not want. Do not let anyone guilt you into making choices you will regret. The future generations depend on our choices. What we choose will affect many generations to come. As women and as mothers, our choices will affect the entire planet. There is no avoiding this truth. So my call to women is that before you choose to become a mother, consider all of this. Consider that who you choose to mate with, how you choose to be pregnant, birth and go through those first few years will greatly impact your life, your child's life, and all of humanity. The ripple effect has no end. To choose mothering above all is the beginning of the return of a sane and balanced planet. Then life becomes sacred again and others know how to respond when a woman makes her choices based on the knowledge and understanding that what she chooses will affect all those that know her. She can inspire or disappoint. She can choose the easy path or the difficult path. Without judgment, without right or wrong, she can simply choose what her heart tells her to do, without fear. When women follow their hearts, humanity will heal.
When women choose to honor their sacred contracts as mothers, humanity will heal. When family is once again sacred and honored, humanity will heal. This was our original commitment to ourselves as women. When we dis-honor that commitment to our families, we dis-honor ourselves, and only pain can follow. Women must continuously evaluate and examine their commitment to themselves, mothering and to their families. This is our sacred contract with God and Self.
In love,
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