To Mother

This Sunday is Mother’s Day.  Every year I am faced with the task of teaching to a diverse group of people for whom the word “mother” means something entirely different.  For some their mothers are not with them now, for others they may simply not want to think of their mother, and others may never have had a mother…..so the word is loaded….so I avoid it altogether and instead, I ask people when they come to their mats to consider the word “mother” as a verb, as in “to mother.”

Most people mother, or support, others.  The majority of people who walk through the door into my classes are in the “sandwich generation” so they are mothering up AND down, caring for their ageing parents, relatives, or friends and also for their children.  But what we ALL have in common is the support structure: the rich network that is built through friendship and family–even if it is adopted family–to lift us through the challenging times.

Perhaps it is a phone call to check in,  a little gift that magically shows up when you are down, or even just a smile.  There is compassion, empathy and a consistency that is there.  And you play your part in creating that support for others.  It’s our “sanga” or community that we are a part of, that connects us to others in a meaningful way.

Take some time this week– a week that crescendos on Mothers Day–to appreciate all the caring and mothering that has been shown to you.  Wrap yourself in a blanket of that love and compassion; recharge with it so you can send it out to others.

And in a nod to mothering everywhere, here is a photo of my most recent creation this week, a vegan and gluten free banana bread! Thanks to Minimalist Baker’s recipe, found here.  I just added giant volumes of walnuts because my husband loves them!