Mother's Day Love - The Breadth and Depth of It All

Dearest ones – mamas and mothering ones, all of you who pour your hearts and minds, bodies and souls into nurturing and sustaining Life in its myriad forms – so, to all of you, blessed keepers of the Hearth,

I wish you a most blessed mother’s day!

As I sit quietly at the dawn of this day, present with Mother’s Day, many strands of the mothering adventure come to heart and mind…

the impossible task it presents – to love so completely, to be carved out in surrender to a child, and then be required to release, to let go.

the yearning to be mother to a child that may go unmet, and the depth of ache and sorrow this leaves in many.

the bounty of love poured in this world, day by day, moment by moment, by all who mother, taking care of Life, watering it and helping it grow.

the overwhelm and loneliness that mothers sometimes experience when the village isn’t there.

the pivotal place you stand as mother between how you were mothered and how you choose to mother, calling forth healing, integration, and renewal so that Love can flourish more fully in the future.

the grief that never fully ends when a child dies. the love that continues forever.

the cycle of nurturing continued as children grow up and nurture their aging parents. That, the mothering force in action too.

the many ways beyond mothering a child that mothering takes – in the aunties of this world, in the listeners and birthers of new, in each and every moment your magnificent heart opens to presence, to pouring care and love into another.

the mamas to newborns this year. May you feel enfolded in our love and support for you, as you navigate that first incredible, crazy, all-encompassing year.

the love that widens us, grows us, deepens us as we tend to our children, day in, day out.

With you, I honor and celebrate these and all the unspoken and unseen dimensions of motherhood today.

Thank you for every ounce, every caress, every snack, every note and prayer and stitch and vision and hope and sweat and dance of Mother-Love you share with the world. Thank you for You!

Take a moment to allow yourself to really feel seen in this mothering work you do. Because it takes you softening the layer of protection you may hold around your heart, to let it in. Then Mother’s Day can actually “land” in you.

And know, wherever you are, however mothering shows up in your life, that you are not alone. We only seem separate. Truly, we are all travelling together in one big caravan. Your tears are our tears. Your joys are our joys. Your concerns are our concerns. Your hopes are our hopes. Your children are our children.

Whenever we mother, we mother for the Whole.

Miriam Mason Martineau . Next Step Integral Counseling & Coaching . Parenting as a Spiritual Practice

We are two weeks into our integral parenting course - Parenting as a Spiritual Practice - with a wonderful group of families and caregivers from around the world. If you would still like to join us, we welcome you! www.integralparenting.com