Mothering Matters Weekly Blog Series to Resume on May 11th, 2015…let’s get this party started (again)!
Why Mothering Matters?
To have a mother’s sensibility, you don’t need to be female; you don’t even need to have children. You just need to have a soul that cares about the future more than you care about yourself. That’s what mothering is — laying down your life for the young so they can grow up into full people.
— Sally Field, in O Magazine
I’m not a mother in the traditional sense; I’m not raising a child. Nor have I. But I struggled for decades over whether or not motherhood was a path I wished to travel. At forty-seven, I have finally arrived at a place where I can honestly answer NO to the “To be or not to be…a mom?” question.
But I certainly feel very mother-like because I care deeply about the state of our planet, the many species inhabiting it — including the Homo Sapien variety — and the significant issues we collectively face.
I am a mother-at-large 🙂
During my journey of exploration through the pros and cons, challenges and responsibilities, options and choices surrounding the motherhood decision, I have come to realize that being a conventional mom — whether that is to a child one has given to birth to, is a step-parent to, has adopted, fostered or otherwise — is not only one of the toughest jobs on the planet, it’s one of the most important.
For at the end of the day, mothers are the ones who ultimately determine how the future — of a society and a species — unfolds.
But mothers are not only responsible for raising the next generation, they also have a significant role to play in ensuring that there is, in fact, a safe and healthy environment for this generation to inhabit.
In today’s insanely busy world, it’s easy to lose sight of this bigger picture – or hope someone else will take care of the second part of that equation. However, as it is in the rest of nature, mothers do have the greatest stake in ensuring that an environment is conducive to raising their young.
Thankfully, however, mothering isn’t just something mothers do. Nor is it exclusive to women. Mothering, in its truest sense, is an expression of the feminine qualities of nurturing, caring, concern, teaching, compassion and patience. Frankly, some of the most mother-like people I know are men.
Mothering not only matters, it is quite possibly what the world needs most right now, in terms of a different way of addressing the many issues we face – be that at an individual, relationship, family, community, societal, cultural, environmental or global level.
For as nurturing and caring as mothers can be, the most effective ones are also firm but fair. This is the type of mother I was blessed enough to have 🙂
Purpose of Mothering Matters Blog Series
The purpose of the Mothering Matters blog series (first launched in May 2012) is to create a forum in which the motherhood decision is explored and the challenges and responsibilities of motherhood and mothering are discussed, so that we can learn from one another – whether we are raising children ourselves or not – as we move forward together to a healthier future for all.
The Mothering Matters weekly blog series will resume on Mon May 11th, 2015 – and run until August
Please note, the weekly blog series, Weekly Words of Wisdom (WWOW) will not run at the same time as Mothering Matters, so WWOW will resume in Aug/Sept.
Mothering Matters Blog topics
A variety of mothering-related perspectives and issues will be explored by multiple writers. The blogs will be written from a personal perspective, short (max 750 words) and go out every Monday via e-mail.
Sample topics include:
- To be or not to be…a mom?
- Infertility
- Dealing with our own mothers and mother-in-laws
- Keeping one’s sense of self as a mother
- Losing a mother
- Adoption
- Working while raising a family
- Overpopulation
- Losing a child
- Environmental concerns
- Impacts of children on marriage
- Bullying
- Teaching kids gratitude
- Being a single mom
- Nurturing ourselves
- Learning from mother nature
- Delayed parenting
- Post-partum depression
- Mother Goddess/Divine Mother
- Keeping kids safe
- Raising a child with disabilities
- Mothers around the world
- Choosing not to have children
- Childhood hunger
- The role of Auntie’s
- Grandmothers as mothers
- Mothering in the community/broader sense
How to Subscribe to Mothering Matters
To sign up to receive the weekly Mothering Matters e-mail, please click here to subscribe.
Background
The Mothering Matters blog series is an extension of the Whatever Floats Your Boat…Perspectives on Motherhood documentary (53 min, 2005) and the subsequent filmed facilitated discussion (20 min, 2007), both produced by Pink Gazelle Productions Inc.
For further info or to view Whatever Floats Your Boat and the facilitated discussion, please click here.
About Pink Gazelle Productions Inc
Mothering Matters is an initiative of Pink Gazelle Productions Inc (PGP).
PGP is a collaborative company that creates entertaining and authentic works which inspire and challenge people to effect positive change in themselves and the world around them. PGP was started in 2002 by Maryanne Pope.
About Maryanne
Maryanne Pope is the executive producer of the Whatever Floats Your Boat…Perspectives on Motherhood documentary, the author of A Widow’s Awakening and the playwright of Saviour and The Widows. Maryanne is the Founder & CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions Inc and the Board Chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. She lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia with her dog, Sadie.
1 thought on “Mothering Matters Resumes May 2015”
Yes, I knew I always wanted to be a mom and I never even gave myself other choices. It’s interesting how life works. Now, I am 47 as well, and never have regretted marriage and motherhood. I do hear myself telling my girls to live a different life. Like get an Education, job, Condo, car, on your own. Enjoy your life and be independent. I think I missed out on certain things.
I am adopted and I have never looked for my biological parents. When I have birth to Jocelyn, I wondered how someone could have given me up and that was it for me. Some may not understand, but it’s my opinion and right.
I am now a caregiver of my father who adopted me and have me an outstanding life. He always said, yes your adopted, but you are ours! I love my Dad and as hard as it is, I don’t miss a visit for anything or anyone. I also am very close with my mom and we go and visit together a lot. Yes, we have our differences, but she is my mom and also wasalways their for me and encouraged me along the way, when most teachers and others thought I couldn’t. So I take this effort and positive attitude into my classroom and make sure everyone knows they can. Thanks for a great message.