While making preparations with my family to celebrate the gift of motherhood this month of May, it occurred to me that Mother's Day may be in danger of losing its point. A day that was marked to "honor mothers, motherhood and the influence of mother's in society" seems questionable now.
I say this because many women can be a mother in the physical sense of giving birth, but genuine motherhood is an impenetrable force of love that nurtures the dignity of every human being.
The gem of humanity is motherhood, and it is not apparent in our culture anymore.
Since the fierce feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s females have been indoctrinated with the belief that motherhood oppresses a woman unless it is a choice.
So now, when a woman decides to have a child, motherhood is merely nine months of validating her ego. What used to be a symbol of grace among women and men is now insignificant.
Women exploit their "growing bumps" for the sake of fashion.
All of my years being a mother men and women have tried to shame me because this is what I do. This is who I am. Now that I need to work full-time because my sons are in college, I don't have any experience for Delta Airlines, Marriott Hotels, Hilton Hotels, Macy's, etc. Yet, a mother brings more experience and power to a company than any young person who thinks they have lived it all. Who do these executives of large corporations think cultivated the young talent they hire?
Ironically, motherhood is the one purpose in my life that made me feel like a woman, and gave me the confidence to be strong, courageous, humble, and selfless.
There is no shame in being called to the vocation of motherhood. Yet, when most women are asked what they do, their response defaults to a career title, and then motherhood is thrown in as if it is a cute perk.
Motherhood is not a choice or a means of validating ones ego. It is not an opportunity to live vicariously through ones children. It is never selfish, self-centered, or self-serving. It is not a fad that the rich and famous started and pop-culture made a trend.
Motherhood is a gift. It means that a woman has been chosen for the most esteemed task since the beginning of humanity, that is, the cultivation of a child's character because every human being is worthy of dignity regardless of their circumstance.
Motherhood is the condition of accepting humility every moment of ever day. A mother doesn't think less of herself, she thinks of herself less.
Motherhood is having the emotional maturity to stop blaming others by letting go of one's own past, and live in the present as a responsible adult parent for the sake of her children's future.
Motherhood is the endless giving of oneself without wanting in return. A mother gives support, direction, time, advice, comfort, joy, understanding and acceptance even when she is so physically and mentally exhausted it seems impossible to give anymore.
Motherhood is having the intuition to recognize the purpose your children were created for in the grand scheme of things, and then guiding each one of them to their vocation. It's knowing how to cultivate their character so their spirit will soar.
Motherhood is never allowing another human being to shame your children because of their temperament. If a child is an introvert they have the gift of wisdom, if they are an extrovert they have the gift of spreading joy.
Motherhood is thankless and never recognized. A mother is rarely given credit when her children are able to thrive on their own.
Motherhood is knowing we give our children wings so they can fly.
In our culture today we shop for women to be an "oven" to couples that are unable to have children, to marriages with two fathers, or to women who simply don't want the inconvenience of a child altering the shape of their body.
In keeping with this new definition of motherhood, maybe it's time to stop celebrating Mother's Day.