Grateful for Her: Loving Mothers Through Gratitude (November ‘23)
When we think of what we are most grateful for in our lives, we probably think of our family, friends, jobs and hobbies. If we dig a little deeper, we might also realize we are grateful for living in a well-developed country, for feeling safe, and knowing where we will get our next meal, which are blessings many people do not have. But how did we get to this point in our lives? In fact, how are we alive at all? This question leads us to something deserving gratitude which is often forgotten - our mothers, and all women, who sacrifice so that we may have life, which enables us to enjoy all of other great blessings.
Life is a gift. We did not and cannot ‘earn’ being born. While the principal or origin of life it disagreed upon, it is clear that women are essential for carrying and bringing life into the world. How often do we thank our mothers for this gift? In our very first nine months (and at least the next twelve) we were completely dependent upon our mother. She provided everything we needed while we were inside of her, giving her own energy and nutrients to us so that we could grow. She didn’t even know us yet, but we were still cared for, loved, and protected by her body. Then, when it was finally time for us to enter the world, she endured possibly the most painful situation in regular human experience that gave birth to us. This seems to be a crazy kind of sacrifice, and it is surely one that is worth being grateful for every day.
The gift of life from our mother is a universal, blanket phenomenon. Not a single one of us could be here without the woman who carried us, from who’s very body we came from. Every person is alive because of their mother. And yet, when we think about our own mother, there
is so much more to be grateful for besides the life they have given us. Most often, we are, in a way, more grateful for their love. Even if we do not have a wholly positive experience with our biological mother, motherly love can be expressed and felt in many dierent ways. From our grandparents or aunts, teachers or friends, even a kind lady we meet at a grocery store, there is no end to the ways motherly kindness can lift us up. We should thus be grateful not only for our own mothers, but all those who make us feel the love a mother in our lives.
Only women can be mothers, and so often it costs them much to do it. The best way to show our gratitude and appreciation is to recognize the sacrifice they have made for us and to love them fully for it.
