MOTHERHOOD IS A SPIRITUAL CONNECT TO THE COSMOS
“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.”
NBirthing is the most profound
initiation to spirituality a woman can
have. ot many people know this, but I am a mom to twin toddlers. I am constantly dishevelled, wiping runny noses and tears, getting served imaginary food, and listening to the nursery songs on loop. Did I mention there’s no break?
That being said, bringing up kids is a spiritually invigorating experience. Almost every mother will tell you, “I never knew I could love someone so much”. There is an intensity to maternal love that catches us off guard. I take this opportunity to salute all Mothers. We may be torn, exhausted, even resentful, while at the same time we want nothing more than to hold our child. A torrent of emotions together forming tender love is released.
There is a fierce protectiveness too, that comes with motherhood. We acknowledge that there is a part of us that would do anything to protect our child. Working with this intense fiery feeling is one of the greatest spiritual challenges of motherhood. It is natural to be consumed by wanting only what is best for our own children, even if it is at a price. The spiritual calling of motherhood then is to allow our heart to expand, rather than contract, our world view and understanding.
It is this understanding that helps us comfort our toddler when he’s sick, or our 10-year-old child when she strikes out at bat, or our teenager whose heart has been broken for the very first time. In these moments, we know how to accept our children’s pain without judgement, and without fixing it, but just being there with them. This is acceptance, this is being present.
Through our children we experience the passage of time so intensely. It seems like just yesterday he was gurgling and cooing and now he can recite poetry. Any parent of a grown child will tell you, ‘it passes in the blink of an eye.’ We get the opportunity to feel connected to an ancient cycle – the cycle of birth, maturation, and death. When we recognize ourselves as part of this cycle, this larger expanse, we are humbled and become cognizant of this cosmic oneness.
My dear readers, whether you are a child’s parent, a pet parent, or not a parent at all, I wish that this Mother’s Day you discover your transcendent wisdom and spiritual connection to the cosmos. I would love to hear from you, how motherhood, or your internal feminine energy has been a part of your spiritual journey.