To those who are moms, those who by choice are not moms, those who are struggling with fertility desperate to be a mom, those who have a challenging relationship with your mom, or a deceased mom, and EVERY other woman alive, this message is for you.
Mother's Day can be glorious, yummy, confusing, heartbreaking, and so much more. Today, and in this week’s PurposeGirl Podcast episode, I want to honor it all and celebrate you all.
**(In fact, this topic is so touching for me that I cry about 6 times in the podcast episode! You can listen at the link below.)
I’m INCREDIBLY grateful to be 7 months pregnant, but truth be told, Mother's Day has been incredibly hard for me for the past 5 years…
I've been so grateful for my wonderful mom, AND heartbroken that Josh's mom passed away 20 years ago and he doesn't get to call her. Plus, I'm sad I’ll never get to thank her for raising such a wonderful son.
I've been so happy for my friends who are moms, AND felt so much grief for the babies I lost.
I've felt great reverence for all that moms do, AND so ashamed of the self-pity I had that I'd never get to be one myself.
And in all that, here's what I've learned: Every woman deserves celebration today.
If you're trying to have a baby, I celebrate your tenacity, strengths and resilience.
If you lost your mom or have an estranged relationship with your mom, I celebrate your courage.
If knew you didn’t want to be a mom, I celebrate your wisdom.
If you're enjoying pancakes in bed or calls or handmade cards from your kids today, I celebrate your love.
In graduate school, a professor said, “The only evolutionary purpose for a woman is to be a mother.”
I was pissed. I was 36 years old and had just left my cushy corporate salary to learn positive psychology and become PurposeGirl – and this “esteemed” PhD is telling me I have no purpose?! Screw that!!
So that night, a few of us childless women got together to have wine and vent and one of them said, “We're here to mother the world.”
My whole body relaxed. My heart expanded. I knew it was TRUTH.
Let's face it – the world is in shambles with hate and pain and whether you have human children or animal children or you mother step-children, nieces and nephews, Mama Earth, the elderly with whom you volunteer, and more, YOU mother the world.
It’s Purpose, and is how I’ve been able to heal the pain of not yet having my own children.
Yesterday, I celebrated my “Baby Blessing” – it’s like a Baby Shower, but instead of gifts, each woman brought in her matriarchal ancestors and read a poem or wisdom for me and baby. 50 women gathered online – my mom and aunts and sister and niece, and cousins and friends from when I was 14, in college, first divorced, from different cities I've lived in, grad school, Goddesses I've met through women's programs and PurposeGirl, and it was the most glorious, touching, uplifting 2 hours imaginable.
Several women said to me, “Carin you have always BEEN a mother. You mother women, you mother teenage girls, you mother men at the companies you speak to, you mother ME.” I bawled, crying.
I’ve always mothered the world.
Even in heartbreak. Even in challenge.
I have Mothered the World and it’s saved my life, made my life fulfilling, and elevated me!
You Mother the World, too. Whether right now you’re doing all you can to get your kids fed and homeschooled, or you’re mothering yourself with love to make it through this time, or you’re giving advice to young or lonely colleagues about how to get through this, or you’re sending masks or groceries or donations to neighbors or nursing homes, YOU, TOO, MOTHER THE WORLD.
Even if you have your own kids, once they’re grown, you have purpose beyond them and it will lift you up to share your SuperPowers with the world! That’s what it is to live your PURPOSE. We share our juice, our gifs, our aliveness
, and the wisdom we’ve learned from pain with those who need it to help them RISE UP.
In this week’s episode of The PurposeGirl Podcast, I go deep into how we mother the world – whether as a mom to humans or as Purpose beyond our own children. I cry about 6 times as I honor my own mom, I share some of my fertility journey, and I share how you are needed to Mother the world now. It’s a passionate, emotional and touching episode that you will love. Listen here.
And if you’re struggling today, reach out to a friend to Mother you, or reach out to me. Or if you’re celebrating today, share that with others. Whatever you do, remember that a gift of Woman is Unconditional Love and we are all NEEDED.
I love you. Happy Mother’s Day.
XO,
Carin
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