Holidays can conjure up feelings we don’t want to feel, expectations we wish we did not possess and memories we’d like to forget. Mother’s Day can be one of those holidays. But, earlier this week, knowing that I’d need to write a blog on this day, I thought about how much motherhood and Mother Nature are similar causing me to smile more and regret less.

        Nature

First of all, I think it is pertinent that nature is referred to as a mother instead of a father, but that is because Mother Nature is life giving as well as nurturing. Mother Nature also has the reputation as being a guiding force, one that affects human nature. 

From personal experience, motherhood enlarges and causes growth in us. Not only does the body swell to accommodate the life we carry inside of us, but our thinking also expands to include thoughts about someone besides just ourselves. 

Then there is the shift that takes place in our hearts the second we hold our newborn child in our arms. Babies, I believe, create a sense of tenderness from our insides out. We cannot help but feel so very happy, responsible, vulnerable and protective all at the same time. A baby, like a light breeze that sways the branches in the tallest, stoutest tree, sways our emotions too. 

Motherhood, like nature, is expansive, overwhelming and a bit scary. Though there are maps to help us find the right trail in the woods and books to help us be good parents, sometimes we still get lost. 

Every child comes with their own personality, propensities and will. Though I read dozens of books along the way to help me raise my sons into civilized human beings, sometimes, I still got lost. 

What I found to be the best counsel was the counsel I gained from simply getting to know my child. They are an education unto themselves and before their teen years, they are an open book.

Finally, being in nature affects me. The smell of the earth, seeing the beauty of a delicate spring flower, the night sky with its numerous and nameless stars all make me feel grateful, content, pleased, and fortunate. Though I am not exactly sure how my motherhood has affected my sons, I do see some proof of my influence.

Though they once joked about being thirty and living in our basement, that has not happened. Instead, they are all respectful, independent and kind. They have joy in their hearts and consideration for others. They’ve accomplished a few goals and continue to strive toward other aspirations. Having birthed them was just the beginning. Witnessing their growth process is at times painful as well as a pleasure. 

Why bother thinking about motherhood? As moms, we cannot help but think about our offspring any more than we can ignore nature. Remembering we are blessed by both is nurturing to our hearts.