MOTHERING by Ruth Calder Murphy

It’s Mother’s Day, and I’m not sure what to say, or how to say it…

Because, the thing is that whilst this is a day of celebration, scratch the surface even slightly and you hit raw pain for so many people. Biological mothers are not always good mothers. Biological children don’t arrive on demand… People pass on and leave us, missing them…

So, “Happy Mother’s Day” is a phrase that perhaps shouldn’t be posted too liberally...

I do want to say, though, that in my mind, this phrase can apply to anyone, male or female, who's ever "mothered" or been mothered. You might not have had the best biological mother, or you might have had the best mother but she might not be here any more. You might not have your own biological children, or you might have several... But, for anyone who’s ever been nurtured, or birthed into a new phase of life, or soothed, or comforted, I think there’s a form of “mothering” there - and I think it’s a part of who we are, as human beings. All mothers, all being mothered.

And so, without taking away from the reality of any pain or loss that's making itself felt, I wish everyone, everywhere, something of the blessing of “Mothers' Day” - or Mothering Sunday - today.

'In the Spirit of Midwifery' by Tamara Adams

Mothering

Where there’s peace in the place of care,

Mothering’s there.

Where there’s a soothing of pain,

or human connections that bypass the brain

to strike to the heart of You when the moment’s right,

when lonely darkness turns towards the light,

or Divinity winks from Serendipity’s face,

when judgment’s what you’re expecting

and you’re given grace…

Mothering comes from old ladies with crinkly smiles

and from little boys who put down their toys a while

to Simply Be, with Me,

from the Spirit of Forests

the ubiquitous Divine,

from the hearts of strangers

who connect with mine…

Sometimes, mothering follows bodily birth

- and sometimes does not,

but flows direct from Mother Earth,

or from the human soul,

bypassing ovaries and wombs and things

and wrapping it, warm, ‘round inner children,

nurturing and raising and giving them wings.

Mothering is for everyone, I think, and blesses all.

Mothering is Love and Soul and Heart

- and all with those to share can claim their part.

Mother and Child by Tamara Adams

Ruth Calder Murphy is a writer, artist, music teacher, wife and mother living in London, UK. Her life is wonderfully full of creativity and low-level chaos. She is the author of two published novels, “The Scream" and "The Everlasting Monday", several books of poetry and one or two as-yet unpublished novels. She is passionate about celebrating the uniqueness of people, questioning the unquestionable and discovering new perspectives on old wonders. She is learning to ride the waves that come along—peaks and troughs—and is waking up to just how wonderful life really is. You can visit Ruth and view more of her art on her website, or on her writer's page on Facebook. Her books are available on Amazon, here.

~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~