A Tribute to Moms: Are You My Mother?

I love children’s books and there is a particular title that got me thinking about mothers this week.

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman is about baby bird that hatches while its mother has gone to find food. Never having met his mother, he leaves the nest to find her. The little hatchling asks a kitten, a hen, a dog, a cow and even a power shovel if each is his mother.

Mothers don’t always come in the expected forms.

The dictionary defines a mother as a protector. Another definition describes a mother as one who takes care of another person with tenderness. I think of a mother as one who nurtures, loves and/or guides us along the way. For me, a mother is someone who listens with wisdom and without judgment.

Given that line of definition. Who have been your mothers?

No matter how old we are, we need mothers in our life.

I lost my mom 20 years ago and since that time I have certainly needed a mother. And I try to recognize when they are put in my path – it is like a burst of refreshment. Sometimes they present themselves as loving listeners or wise sages. (I love it when that happens.) Other times they tell me what I need to hear but may not want to hear. They have been mentors, colleagues, neighbors, relatives and friends. I like to think they are whispering my mother’s words to me.

Motherhood is not about a birth canal. It’s about presence.

With Mother’s Day upon us, it is a great month to think about the men and women who have felt like mothers to us.

Who has been present for you? Who have been your mothers and what have you learned from them? Say a silent prayer of thanks and then tell them.

Mothers don’t always look like us but they recognize us in all of our goodness.

Thanks Moms.

© Kathy Sturgis, Ph.D. Kathy is founder of Refreshment Zone and is an organizational and personal development specialist with a doctorate in communication. Contact kathy@refreshmentzone.com for more information on motivational programs.