How many of us know the real origin of Mother’s Day? Even had Hallmark existed in her day, Julia Ward Howe would never have imagined her dream narrowed from international peace to celebrating the nuclear mother. On one hand, this feels like a huge set-back for her vision which increasingly seems true:  that it may indeed be women who lead us into world peace. On the other, it is an opportunity to reflect on and thank the many who mother us throughout our lives.

In my own life, this is a near-daily act of gratitude and attention. Mothering is the core of how I live in the world. As a result, observing how I have been mothered and in turn, mother, is a thread that not only runs through but connects me to all my lives. So much so that I will be adding Mothering Mondays to my blog offerings. There is simply too much mothering to be contained in one post, one interpretation, one life.

For today, I offer a fast-write from one of my classes.

The prompt – ‘create an ‘installation’ of components of myself that speak to the world that matters to me/that I want to create.’ My reflection on the result:

May I always recall roots I have grown
and those emerged from, the beauty
I seek to return—elegant color,
wild form, simple balance
of dark into light.

May I seek to return, again
and again to the conscious choices
of my work: centered intention, transparent
process, balanced energies
and joyful vision.

May I always without apology
return to the well of nature
to learn, rejoice and share
lessons learned from Great Mother’s
wisdom abundant.

May I do my part, through
work, words, and heart to restore
balance and soul to our world so imperiled
by carelessness, cruelty, illusory control;
help corral collective concern,
compelling consciousness
toward peace abundant.