Ode to Mothers

I awoke with an Ode to Mothers swirling around my head.

T'would be a shame to not get it out on "paper."

Ode to Mothers

Her heart swells with love,

at the peace of her child,

the love and the grace,

like the wings of a dove.

 Utter fear can take grasp, 

for this life in her hands, 

needs protecting and guidance,

through unsure lands.

Like a ball of clay,

soft for shaping.

Easy now, still escaping; 

Escaping from a life before,

a guardian now, 

lighting the way evermore.

No more thoughts of only her,

A true mother's heart will surely concur.

She will get lost in this mother world,

her spirit thrown and emotions hurled.

Feeding, changing, teaching, growing,

Failing, falling, grasping, knowing,

Asking, praying, getting stuck and flowing,

Opening wide and lying curled.

Laundry, dishes, counters and floors,

always there for the cleaning.

Lessons, manners, control and life,

for her to teach their meaning.

Tears will come and tears will go,

from mom and babe alike.

Anger and selfishness will surely rise,

 inner strength her only dike

that keeps her harmful feelings in,

though sometimes spilling over.

At times she must invite them in,

like a simple game of Red Rover. 

Always sure to let them pass,

to let them break on through.

Always sure to apologize,

to let them know she's human too.

And guilt, oh the guilt!

Is she going to damage them?

She must remember on true thing,

sometimes we trip on skirts too long,

and then we add a hem.

Refining, always refining,

'tis the growing human's way.

A mother gets the sacred task

of doing so every moment, every day.

She raises a son to be a man,

what a lofty task indeed.

Gentle and kind, compassionate, generous,

in a world full of hate and greed.

A world that measures it's success,

by cars and bank accounts, 

is not a true way to be,

she softly and firmly recounts.

Her daughter will be strong, she says,

standing firm on her two feet,

not bound by outward worldly things,

but the kind of beauty that does not fleet. 

No matter what her outward look,

her heart will shine on through. 

Keep it pure, and keep it full,

Is all she has to do.

The child is here to teach her, 

how to open her heart wide,

to see the wonder and the glory

adulthood doesn't often provide. 

Her child, unlike her,

is exactly in this moment.

She fails, oh she fails, 

but there is always room for atonement.

Resilient and forgiving, 

all children are as so.

She can learn a thing or two from them

if she can only let herself go. 

Forgive oneself and strive.

It's the only way forward.

Let those ugly parts die,

and the beauty spring upward. 

To all the mothers out there, 

you really are an angel, 

chosen to bring these children forth,

To them, you shine like Rigel.

You shape us and you teach us,

in all your error and your flaw.

Fall, get up, and shine your light

We truly are in awe. 

My destiny is not limitation (Day 13)

I've given myself permission to take weekends off from my daily spiritual practice, but here I am on a Saturday morning. I'm choosing to still do it. Yeah...I'm inconsistent like that.

I think a lot about our world, our society, and how we measure success. In today's lesson it states that our "hope for the future is not primarily for a better human experience: more wealth, esteem, or recognition." We seem to be so hung up on these things, and yet I think we all have a deep knowing that they are not what bring about peace and contentment. The author gives an example of Victor Frankl, who while in a Nazi concentration camp, was able to give his attention to a flower blooming in the prison courtyard. I have talked about this a lot, and this practice of noticing beauty has gotten me through some really hard days. The world is tragic and scary and unjust...AND it's beautiful. Miracles happen around us in every moment. Our bodies are miracles. It's just amazing to me that there is fragile little heart inside of us always pumping so that we may live. Just amazing. The landscape, the sunshine, the animals shaking loose from winter's grip, it's all so, so beautiful. Even when I am having such a hard day, I cannot deny the beauty that surrounds me. We must not turn our heads at what's wrong with the world, but without allowing joy and beauty to also come in, we turn hard and hardness is not what will change the world. It's our love and compassion that will turn the tides.

There is a part of us that cannot be limited, not in any situation. Our body can be housed, but our mind and spirit cannot. We get to choose how we will respond, how we will react, and what we will focus on.

I believe we all have inherent goodness at our core. We get mucked up by our conditioning and we forget that each person is really good. We blame others for our feelings and label or judge them to make it easier on ourselves. I'm guilty too. Today's affirmation is "Let that which I am be revealed." I'd also like to add "Let that which we all are be revealed." Let us see the light in ourselves and in each other. Let it be so.

Six Word Friday-GO! (and day 12)

"Oh, the places I will go!"

.... At least I hope I will. 

I am walking that tight rope

between creating and accepting my destiny. 

Limitation threatens to slow me down.

Hope brings faith. Faith brings action.

The limitations like hurdles and mountains.

Some times I jump with ease,

while others I just look up

at the sheer strength of them

and must remind myself, I can.

I jump, I climb, I tire,

And the cycle continues on, on.

I know they'll always be there

those mountains and hurdles of limitation,

and I know they train me

to persevere, hope, dream, believe, act.

"Oh, the places I will go!"

More Six-word Fridays right here!

Today's post is also part of

my daily commitment to this practice.

My faith is their anchor

Too often I am not as present as I feel I should be with my kids. I nurture and love and practice patience all day with preschoolers. Other people's children don't push my buttons like my own and at the end of the day, not only am I spent, but there is all the domestic demands that threaten to dredge up stress if they pile up too long. I won't go too much into the kind of guilt this can surface, because that is a whole 'nother post. 

At bedtime, however, they do get me in all of my presence. I read a story and then it's lights off. I lay with young one (my boys share a room, but not a bed) and we say our prayers. Sometimes they say a little something, but usually it's me saying the prayer. It always starts out with thankfulness. I point out that even though the world can be a harsh place, we are still surrounded by beauty. No matter how hard life can feel, the sky is still a brilliant shade of blue. The birds are still returning from the south, and the tulips and crocuses are pushing there way toward the sun from the cold earth. I draw attention to how blessed we are to have our health and safety. I then ask for the continuance of our health and safety as well as the wisdom and discipline to make good choices that also ensure those things. We pray for the people who are suffering and I ask that we are led to use our gifts to help alleviate some of that suffering. I ask for the strength to remain patient and trusting as well as forgiveness for falling and taking down others with me, especially my children. I ask for peace in our hearts and faith that we are where we are meant to be, even when it feels hard. I then sing a song. As I start to sing, I can just feel my sweet, sweet boys settle in. Their feeling of safety is almost palpable. It's like a big exhale in the room. 

When I come from a place of trust, they trust. My faith is their anchor. I so want to be that anchor all the time, and there are inevitably those times where I feel more like a sail, letting the winds of fear uproot me. And there they are, stuck on this ship with me with no one at the helm. When I remind them, when I remind myself, that God is at the helm, everyone lets go a little and steps into a place of faith. 

Through this time of change and uncertainty in our lives, we must cling to faith. I want my children to know the importance of heartache. It breaks my heart, as their mother, to see them hurting. Yet I know that gifts will accompany this pain and I will do my best to help them see that. Their father and I are separated, heading for divorce and I am seeing the pain and fear of that manifest in their little selves. Tonight we prayed for their dad, that he will find peace and whatever it is that he is seeking. I asked that our children always know that they are so, so loved and always taken into consideration. I will keep telling them. I will keep praying with them. We will keep looking at the gifts this hardship is bringing, and I am really seeing them. There is something so comforting about walking in faith that all things are bringing us closer to our true selves, especially these hard times of extreme growth. My heart is opening wide and I think I am becoming a better mother, a better person, through this. I trust this process and that doesn't mean it's easy, it just means that I am choosing to believe that this is somehow for the best. 

My children will be ok. They are blessed beyond measure to have two parents who love them and will continue to take care of them. We will make sure of that. While I go through this grieving process over the death of my marriage, the death of the family unit, I will come back again and again to faith, and hopefully, so will my boys. I see when I am anchored in faith, so are they. 

Six Word Friday-Hope Springs Eternal (Week 2, Day 1)

HOPE

A stepping stone to something better.

A belief that we will accomplish

that which we want to accomplish.

It comes and inspires, then leaves.

Despair takes place, then hope returns.

It is always there, within us,

not enough in and of itself,

but a spark, a dream dreamed.

Let our hope move us forward.

I hope for peace on earth,

starting right here in my heart.

I hope for safety and health

for my children, for all children.

I hope to be more present,

loving, compassionate, kind, disciplined and patient.

I hope to travel to Africa!

I hope I will listen, know, answer,

when God is calling on change.

I hope this book changes me,

A Daily Guide to Spiritual Living.

So glad todays lesson was hope,

two posts in one, asking me

to look into that eternal wellspring

that we call hope. Perfect Timing.

For more hope, in six words,

Visit sweet Melissa's blog, link up!

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by Soulemama.

Six word Friday- Wonder

Wonder, seems all I do sometimes.

I wonder what opportunities lie ahead,

trying not to wonder what's passed.

I wonder why humans are so

flawed, yet so capable of greatness.

I wonder why we can't trust

that we'll be taken care of

and let go of those fears.

I wonder what this short life

has in store for me, mine.

Are my expectations much too high

or is my ambition too low?

I wonder if my kids will

take from me love and kindness

rather than remember my many flaws.

I wonder who they will become,

how much of it is predestined

versus how much they will create.

I wonder if there is any end

to how big our hearts grow.

For more wonder, visit Melissa's blog.

Virtual Coffee

I'm on my lunch break, in my car, with my laptop. I didn't have time to have a cup of coffee this morning, let alone a virtual date, so here I am.


Today I wish I was in DC on the bridge , celebrating International Women's Day, showing my solidarity with other women the world over. And the annual CARE conference? I've wanted to go every year. Hopefully next year I will not have used up all of my sick time before this time, so I can take a few days off and educate myself on how to better stand up for women, while in the presence of inspirational, passionate women who are making a difference in the lives of women and girls.  I am so passionate about helping women and girls out of poverty as a way to help entire communities out of poverty. We are powerful.



I may have even posted this video on my blog a different time, but it's ok. It's that good. Statistics say that when women are given resources, they are more likely to use it for good, to further their lives and their children's lives. It's so important to get the resources to these women, as it will branch out to their children and their community. Not to mention, "Women perform 66 percent of the world’s work, produce 50 percent of the food, but earn 10 percent of the income and own 1 percent of the property."


Yes, friends, this would be what we talk about over coffee. I realize that some people would rather keep to their bubble, but it's not my style. I talk about mothering and life and work, but that will never be all I talk about. 


Will you join me in lifting up women, whether it be in your thoughts/prayers, your conscious consumerism, or your voice?

Six word Friday- Might

"Great or impressive power or strength."

What mighty love a mother holds,

for her children, for all children.

If only that love could rule

our world, can you even imagine?

All would be fed, have homes.

The sick would be cared for.

Safety for all would be priority.

Tolerance and kindness would be taught.

Our best mothering heart shining through,

the might of our love heals.

"Expressing a possibility, based on condition."

Might we treat each other with

the unconditional love reserved for children?

After all we are all growing.

Might we treat each other compassionately?

We are all fighting  some battle.

Might we look through the externals

(jobs, diets, style, houses, paychecks, popularity)

and see right to the heart?

Our core is good, is love.

We hurt and we grasp and

then we project and we reflect

and compare and judge and decide.

It's easier to point the finger,

and ignore our own core hurts.

Might we nurture ourselves and others?

Give the benefit of the doubt?

Let's treat one another as angels,

guiding us closer to the Source,

bringing lessons of love and forgiveness,

letting go and looking inside ourselves.

Might we be a light shining 

unto the darkness of our humanity.

For more "might" visit Melissa's blog.