Sunday, January 17, 2010

To be a mother

I stare at my children and I am moved beyond words. Their very existence is mind blowing and the love that I feel for them profound. When they are sad, I am sad. When they get hurt, I hurt. When they are afraid, I feel as though my heart is being ripped from my body. And when they are sick, I am consumed with worry and dread.

And I am blessed with happy, healthy, safe, strong, and soundly provided for children.

Since becoming a mother, I am keenly aware of the suffering that exists around the world. Now, I was aware of this prior to being a mother, but this particular role brought all of that pain, sorrow, sickness, poverty, and violence to a deeply personal level. Seen through the eyes of a mother. All mothers.

The mother of the child dying of a brain tumor feels the same way about her child as I do about my children. The worry and dread that I feel when my children are sick is nothing compared to what she endures.

The mother of children living in extreme poverty, war ravaged countries, and victims of violent crimes feel the same love that I feel. The same terror that I would feel under those circumstances, they live with endlessly.

So now when I see images of Darfur, Iraq, Haiti, children's hospitals, and countless other horrible situations, I see it through the eyes of the mothers. And how each of those mothers love their children the same as I do. Have the same hopes and dreams for them that I hold for mine. And that knowledge is overwhelmingly painful to consider.

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