Mother's Day

In honor of Mother's Day coming up here in the US, i wanted to share some things i've written lately about motherhood, children, babies, etc.

In my neighborhood - it seems as if all one must do to become pregnant around here is drink the water. Seriously - i think there are maybe 20 babies who have been born within four blocks of my home over the past 18 months, and i can think of at least seven more due this year.

Talking with one neighbor recently who was faced with having to enter an establishment where the servers were very scantily clad, while she was at her eighth month of pregnancy, i shared this:

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In my spiritual practice, part of the meditation we do is cultivating gratitude for our mother.

i've thought a lot about ALL of what a mother does - especially when they really love their child - to care for a child throughout their lifetime (but especially at the beginning). And, as much as i can think, i still don't know the half of it. It is one of the most unselfish, compassionate, loving things you can do in this world, and a truly special role.
In some traditions, they say that when you mother one being, it is as if you are mothering the whole universe - as if you are carrying every being in the universe inside you, nurturing every being in the universe. By nurturing your child, the path they tread, which is interconnected with every other being in the universe in some way, will be kinder, fuller, more compassionate. In that way, you are literally sending love and compassion out into the world that may last, be passed on, and amplify for generations.

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