Everybody knows May is the Month of Mothers: in many countries, during May, Mothers and Motherhood are celebrated.
And I have to tell you, as a Mother of three, we totally deserve it! 😉
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Not only do we carry the baby in us during a many months long pregnancy – what a roaller coaster of experiences and hormones… -, but while we raise our kids, we learn many (more) trades: healer, conflict manager, personal assistant, coach, and so many other transferrable skills that make motherhood an asset for anywhere we decide to invest our time in.
Even if you’re adopting and not carrying the child, having the responsibility of caring for another human being brings amazing perspective on everything (besides afore mentioned skills). Just the simple act of getting down (literally) and seeing the world from the perspective of a toddler or a child makes you become aware of so much… And want to rearrange the furniture and protect all the pointy bits of furniture!
Imagine you are now having to explain societal norms and the weather to a child, using simple terms and language, in a crowded setting and with limited time, all because they need to learn to wait their turn to go down the slide, but you can feel the wind picking up and that dark cloud of rain announces imminent and intense rainfall, and you want them to forgo their turn because you forgot the umbrella, so none of you gets home soaked when you still need to start dinner… That requires a special set of skills! 😉
Plus, a lot of times we forget about all the invisible things Mothers do to keep a house a Home – small touches that make it a home, let alone to keep everything going: washing, cleaning, tidying…
And though in many families, and even societies, there is more gender equality in Parenting, studies have shown that worldwide women are still the major caregivers in the household – and most often than not without any financial aid in that role -, plus they tend to be in charge of all the chores, and many times while also having a paying job to provide for the family.
Mothers are very important
Do you know how there would be no Star Wars without R2D2, since he is the linchpin character in the saga?
In all of the Episodes, in decisive moments, R2D2 was there and made such a difference that, without his intervention, the dark side would have won.
Mothers (or GrandMothers, or other mother figures) are the R2D2 of families, doing their best to keep everyone fed, clothed and clean.
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And also working hard to keep the family ties strong – here in Portugal, although the head of the family is supposed to be the Father, usually it’s the Mothers/GrandMothers who keep the different generations of the extended family together, especially for holiday celebrations, who cook that special dish that all the kids/grandkids love, and that always want people to eat more.
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Since we humans have very few matriarchal societies at this time in our history, unlike bees, elephants, and other animals, there are always exceptions, but since I am honoring Mothers in this article, lets run with it, shall we?
Mother Earth
Mother Earth provides us with such an amazing paradise, with different climates and zones to appeal to all of the life forms on our formidably diverse planet, and here we are investing more in colonizing another planet than to regain as much balance as we can in our beautiful blue marble.
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The Greeks called our planet Gaia – the goddess creator of all life.
James Lovelock proposed that life on Earth interacts with its non-living matter to keep perpetual life providing conditions – much like a family -, and called it the “Gaia Hypothesis”.
Whether you call it Earth, Gaia, Terra, Sol III or by any other name, our planet – or Spaceship Earth like Buckminster Fuller accurately named our abode flying across the Universe – she works just like a Mother: each member brings something to the table – even if it is only appetite -, and we all influence each other, like with the Butterfly Effect, while Mother Nature does her best to keep it(us) all together.
Mother(s) Day
That is why for me, as a Northern Hemisphere dweller, it makes sense that Earth Day is celebrated in late April, and Mothers Day in early May, during Spring and around Beltane: because we need to honor the life givers when it is most clear how important they are, since they got us through the Winter, and are preparing to provide during the Summer for the next Winter.
Of course this is by no means my contribution to start a movement to have different dates for the same commemorative days depending on which Hemisphere you live – we already have enough variety with countries alone, and sometimes within them… -, but an acknowledgement of the origin of these holidays/celebrations.
Human Collaboration
As a species, we already have too many divisions and scissions, and I would much rather have us all working together, collaborating for the development of humankind whilst honoring that we are an integral part of Gaia’s ecosystem and that we need to work with her and not against her.
Maybe that comes from being a Mother and wanting everyone to get along in a tidy, clean and functional house for all…
Maybe that comes from being a Manifesting Generator and wanting everyone else to also be the change the world and all of us living in it need right now…
Maybe that comes from being a Permaculturer and knowing that Permaculture (*) is an amazing design method that allows for a much needed balance between humans and our planet and its other inhabitants because of the ethics and principles Bill Mollison and David Holmgren based it on…
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Mothers over the world
The fact that we can build families, communities and societies with multiracial and multicultural people proves that we can work with all of the other inhabitants of our planet to make our stewardship more balanced and leading to a better outcome for us all in this globe.
We have the intelligence to understand the patterns, to change habits, to make concessions, and work together for the greater good. I know we do, in spite of the displays of scarcity and I-want-it-all-and-I-want-it-now mentality we are being presented with nowadays.
It is terrifying to realize how many wars are being fought in our small planet and the consequences all of them can have on our families, so just imagine you’re a Mother living in one of the conflict areas trying to keep your family safe and sound…
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Or in areas where extreme climate events – and their direct and indirect consequences – make life extra hard…
As a Mother, I want to focus on doing what is within my reach to leave a better future for my kids, and at the same time teach them to use their uniqueness to better our species and ecosystems.
No Mother wants to have to voluntarily go all Momma Bear on the world just so she can feed, clothe and shelter her children, not if she is given a choice! What Mother willingly wants to be a Sarah Connor if she can be a Lucille Krunklehorn (coffee patch optional)?
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To the Mothers going through strife in order to protect your child(ren), you have my admiration. ♥
To all the Mothers out there reading this, I hope you feel seen, heard and acknowledged. 🙂
And if you’re a GrandMother reading this, know that the content applies exponentially to you, and further exponential growth comes with each “Great” that precedes your GrandMother title. 😉
There is a lot more to be said about Motherhood, so please leave your thoughts in the comments.
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(*): FYI, International Permaculture Day is also celebrated in the first Sunday of May – just like Mothers Day here in Portugal.
Again, as someone in the Northern Hemisphere, it seems natural to have that celebration in this time of celebrating life.
Plus, as someone living in Portugal, it makes total sense to commemorate Permaculture in the same day as Mothers Day, since I view Permaculture as a gift from humankind to Mother Nature.
Only one glitch in this theory… Permaculture was created by Australians. 😛
