I Wish YOU a Happy Mother’s Day!
13 May 2017
By…Laura, WAF Board Member and Mom of Four
When I think of Mother’s Day, I can’t help but remember my mother, Laura. Though she passed away in 2002, the lessons she taught me in my younger days paved the way for my future in ways I could not even imagine as a child and teenager. The values she practiced were not instilled to me biologically, but rather what I learned through her actions. She demonstrated strength, character, integrity, commitment and determination in her interaction(s) not only with her children but other adults as well. I do not attribute her prescription of being a good Mom to DNA. It was her persistence of teaching us to learn and think outside of the box. She taught my siblings and I not to look through the lens of biology, but one of love-the binding ingredient to any family. We are a blended family, yet I never really saw it that way; we are a family. I simply knew I was loved. Her teachings and philosophy of love provided infinite wisdom for me throughout the next chapters in my life. My parents lacked emphasis on biology and I gained the true value of having a blended family today regardless of the many hurdles to jump through as a blended Mom.
Some will argue that the evolution of a woman’s body during the 9 month process of pregnancy results in how women are selfless, unconditional, loving and no one else can compare to this standard because the of this specific biological process. I do marvel at the anatomical, biological, and hormonal responses that take place within the body of a woman however this is not the only component to motherhood. Unconditional love is not a biological effect of pregnancy. My point is, the over emphasis on biology today doesn’t make sense. It’s who your parents are that matters most, not what DNA chromosome (which yields infinite possibilities) matches which biological parent. Parents love. Blended parents love too.
It takes a courageous, brave and selfless woman to be a good Mom. It takes sweat equity to earn that title: sacrifice, love, grit, and a commitment to do the healthiest both mentally and physically, for our children. That’s not biology, rather a part of the human experience that results when a woman truly loves beyond herself. It is a beautiful experience: motherhood.
For all hard working, good Moms out there, this week I celebrate YOU! The brave women you are to step up to the plate and show your kids how you continue to persevere. It’s not where you’ve come from, but what you’ve learned from your parents that forms who your children are and become. Celebrate those sacrifices, struggles, hurdles, triumphs and failures…..because THAT’s what makes us Moms, regardless what the rest of society thinks! Happy Mother’s Day!,
