Mothering

I am a member of a womens empowerment circle....we had some questions that I answered via e-mail the other day about motherhood....I thought I'd post my responses since it's Mother's Day today.

1. How do you honor children in your life?
I honor my son by giving him my time and my full present self at some point everyday. I make sure to make time for that...even on my busiest days there is always at the least a half hour of devoted time where I make myself fully present and available to him. I also speak to him like a person. Some people baby talk or speak to kids as if they are clueless or inhuman...unfeeling and incapable of having an opinion. This really irritates me. Even at the age of two I believe in giving my son options and choices. I allow him to express his opinion ( preferrably without whining....hee hee) about things and I encourage him to share his true feelings.... It is important for a child...just like anyone else to feel validated. I also try to make sure to let him know each day how much I love him and how inspired I am by him and thankful for him I truly am.

2. What does it mean to mother?
To be a mother is not to martyr yourself...it means nurturing and supporting your children and loved ones....including yourself...so often we forget to give to ourselves as mothers. To be a mother is to be in a place of giving and sacrifice...knowing that the sacrifices are so worth it...because it makes a difference in the world and because what you get back (not that that is the encentive to be a mom!) is so amazing. There is nothing like looking into the eyes of your child and seeing that depth of unconditional love staring back at you!

3. What are you mothering in your present life?
I am mothering my Son Oscar and I am mothering my little girl self....the wounded little girls within me...ages ranging from 5 - 18. I am mothering those parts of me...not just for myself and my own healing...but for my son...so that he doesn't have to deal with the cyclical funk that has been swirling from generation to generation in my family...the buck stops with me...if I can help it by being strong, standing in my power and staying focused on healing myself and my hurt places in my heart. This is the gift to the child from a mother who is awake. Thank God/Goddess I am AWAKE!

4. Where might you feel fertile and what do you intend to plant?
I feel fertile in my path of decision making and my intuition that is guiding me on my quest for healing. I am so thankful for that fertility and abundance there and thank God/Goddess each new day for another opportunity to grow in strength, peace and love!
More than anything else in my life, I love being a mother. It encompasses every aspect of my being...it fulfills me and gives me a sense of completeness in my life. I am so blessed by the gift of my son.