I am Mother, like the Earth

I am Mother, like the Earth

It was Mother’s Day morning and I sat alone on the kitchen table eating the healthy pancakes I had prepared for myself. I watched the rain falling, forcibly slanted by the strong wind pushing against it’s drops, hitting the hard stone patio. I thought about how the beautiful, green and lush landscape, nourished by the rain, was not just my backyard, it was the earth, the greatest mother I know. Negative thoughts about how my kids did not come rushing with breakfast in bed for me, their mother; about how my oldest argued that no special recognition was needed today, it was just another commercial holiday, and no one seemed to remember the day of their births except for me. The choking sensation I felt in my throat and the dew in my eyes from my son’s words soon dissipated as I gazed outside my window, hearing the soft thudding of rain, smelling the freshness of soil, and embracing the joy of the moment. 

This beautiful land, the earth, is and was and will always be mother. Like my children, the children of the earth enjoy thanklessly the fruits they have borne from their mother. Many abuse the earth, destroying its beauty and natural resources for selfish gain. Yet, a mother’s love remains unaffected and in abundance. Mother Earth is our source of life from whom we receive oxygen, water, and the food she provides. We continue to take and give so little in return to sustain our miraculous planet, which functions in precise ways of sustaining us. Are we doing enough to sustain Mother Earth? How many children does it take to care for one mother? 

 Mother Earth does not wallow in self pity, her immense love and generosity out spans any she could ever receive from her many children. That is what is meant by being a mother. We are love. We give without any expectation of receiving anything in return. I am mother, like the earth.