During the month of May we honor mothers and those
who have nurtured us with a loving maternal influence.
The definition of mother is a woman who has
given birth, raised a child or donated an egg that created a child, according
to Wikipedia. That definition got me thinking about how things have changed in
the past decade or so.
There are now same sex marriages where two women or
two men raise children. Just a few days ago, the news reported that scientists
have created the first synthetic DNA in a lab. Projecting into the future, perhaps
the day will come when synthetic wombs or cocoons exist, and the most vital physical
role of the woman as mother—co-creating a new being—will become redundant. Will
mothers be needed anymore?
The role of motherhood has changed considerably in
recent times in the western world. There are fewer stay-at-home mothers always
on call. The majority of moms are career women who juggle a job, motherhood, as
well as being wife and lover to an equally busy mate. In most other parts of
the world, women must conform to specific religious and cultural beliefs connected
to motherhood. Life can still be hard for these women, and childbirth is a
dangerous undertaking that carries a high mortality rate for both mother and
child. A mother’s life is played out against a backdrop of lack, worry, disease
and often intimidation.
The emotional role of the one who plays mother in
our lives is complex. After giving birth, nearly two decades are devoted to nurturing,
protecting, teaching, giving and loving. This involves large doses of creativity,
selflessness, sacrificing and giving.
Some of us have not had positive experiences with
our own mothers, but almost everyone can remember a female who fulfilled some of
these needs in our lives. An aunt or grandmother, or maybe it was a teacher or
older lady friend.
I can’t close this post without honoring the one
mother who nourishes us all, and gives selflessly no matter how much we harm
her. Mother Earth, the ‘spirit’ of our beloved planet. We all share this one
mother, so let’s do our best to honor her and give back to her in any way we
can, by living consciously and letting gratitude ripple out from our hearts to
hers.
Do you have a favorite memory of your mother you'd like to share? Do you write mothers into your stories?
GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who lives
in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, brave teen son
and a comical dog who is really a human in disguise. She loves making new
friends and hearing from readers. Exotic coffee and dark chocolate fuel her
creativity. She writes romance, mystery and suspense with a splash of the
paranormal. You can buy Gemma’s books
on Amazon.
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