Mothers Day, Mothering Sunday, La Fiesta della Mamma, Muttertag, Fetes de Meres, Dia de las Madres, whatever you prefer to call it, the sentiment is the same. Honoring our mothers is about expressing gratitude and love. Symbols of motherhood have been revered and worshiped since prehistoric times. Early peoples typically celebrated mothering in the spring to coincide with the rebirth of the land, thus also recognizing the procreative power of women. Synonymous with fertility and nurturing, the Mother Goddess figures prominently in ancient myths and legends. And then somewhere along our journey, in those tumultuous middle years, humanity began to concern itself more with grand scale warfare, colonization and industrialization. Reverence for the simple creation of turning blood to bone was mislaid for loftier goals.
Calls for an official day to appreciate Mothers came from the feminist belief that woman have the responsibility to shape society at the social, moral and political level through child-rearing practices. If we reflect upon this for a moment we can recognize the enormous impact that mothering has upon the life of a child. Mothering is a task of immeasurable social and personal importance, requiring unwavering dedication in the face of personal and professional self-sacrifice, yet it brings with it the sweetest of life affirming rewards.
A mother’s love is boundless and irreplaceable, yet many of us take our own mothers for granted. That usually changes when we have our own children, and find ourselves apologizing to and thanking our mothers, horrified at what we put another human being through. But that is the cycle of life, we are given to and then we give. We are served and then we serve. As women everywhere become Mothers for the first time, a nurturing Goddess is born within each of them, and they now live to love. And as those children grow and develop into independent young people, the Mother Goddess must also grow, she must continually adapt to her changing roles. It is not an easy task.
Yes, we struggle and stumble, but many times we also glow. Some Mothers I know are simply radiant, performing their lifelong work beautifully, so fully present. With grace and style, taking the good with the bad and making a better day of it. Recently I had the pleasure of creating images for one such remarkable Mother, and her two lovely daughters. Their bond touched my heart. So I dedicate this Mothers Day post to Caroline, you are truly inspiring. To Aiden and Maia, I hope you know how lucky you are.
Happy Mothers Day 
