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World needs more mothering

As we celebrate Mother’s Day today with cards, flowers and taking Mom out for a fancy brunch or dinner, we can’t help but ponder the tremendous impact mothers have had on the world throughout history.

Mothers, of course, starting with Eve, have given birth to every human who has ever lived. But there job doesn’t end there. Motherhood only begins at birth. Mothers are the prime caregivers who feed and clothe and clean their children. They teach them their first words, help them take their first steps, give them their first hugs and kisses. They pass along all their culture’s traditions and lore. They provide support as their children venture out to interact with others, whether it be to play dates, to school, to jobs, into military service, or into marriage and parenthood. They are always there to pick their children up when they fall, patch them up, comfort them, and send them back out. They are ready to defend their children when danger nears.

It occurs to us that the world could use more mothering, on a larger, national and international scale. Where there is hunger and poverty, mothers would be there teach nations how to share, to make sure everyone has enough. Where there is war and violence, mothers would be there teach how to treat each other with respect, to play nice, and to think about how we’d feel if someone did that to us. Where there is political discord, mothers would be there to remind us that we’re all family, and even though we may disagree we still have to live with each other and love one another.

If it works with small individual families, it could work with the human family as well.

Happy Mother’s Day to mothers everywhere.

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