"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and
sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity;
when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when
trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by
her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and
cause peace to return to our hearts."
Thus described Washington Irving a mother. So true and so beautiful
words. I agree with him fully. It is difficult to even think of a
greater and more profound a blessing than is mother.
Women's strength and power differs from men's. While men are
robust and forthright... women are gentle and caring. While men are
physically more powerful... women are emotionally stronger. While a
father sees the greatest need in good education... a mother desires to
fill a want for a tender care and nurture. While a man longs to see his
children winning and conquering... a woman delights in her children's
gentle advances towards greater creativity, in their little steps
towards discovering their place in society, in their finding true
fulfillment through following their hearts.
Webster's Dictionary defines the term male as "a person bearing an X and Y chromosome pair in the cell nuclei". Male is further defined by the adjectives: strength, forthrightness, courage, and virility.
Female is first defined as "a person with two X chromosomes in
her cell nuclei... an adult human being who is biologically capable of
bearing offspring". Webster's also describes a woman with adjectives: delicacy, gracefulness, and patience, as well as sensitivity to moods. When
men are known for their courage and direct manner... which does not
mean that women do not possess those qualities, still, women's power
lies in their grace and patience. Grace, in turn, is defined
as "elegance, beauty, and smoothness of form or movement." It is
further defined as "a capacity to accommodate and forgive as well as
extend mercy and favor."
Women's greatest strengths are displayed in relationships - in
sowing love and life, in holding families together, in nurturing and caring. It is women who
truly mould the society - through motherhood. There is no more
important job in the whole world than being a mother... neither is
there a more complex job. Mother Teresa said, "We cannot do great things, but we can do small things with great love." Mothers do it daily.
It is wonderful that we have one day each year when we truly celebrate
those creatures of strength and elegance, the pillars of society, the
real-life heroines.
What could we do this year that would bless our mothers? I
believe they would receive the greatest delight not from expensive
flowers and gifts sent by mail... but from us spending time with them.
There is no greater gift for a mother than to spend time with her
offspring... her dearest children... and yes, for a mother we will
never become fully grown up.
Our life-styles have become so fast. Often we do not even
realize it until we get away from the speed for a short while. I just
got back from my 2 week hide-away to the country, from complete peace
and quiet. The speed that I had allowed to pull me along struck me yet
again. I realized I needed to change some things. I had to dethrone
some responsibilities that I had considered so very important before...
but that had just managed to empty me of energy.
I sat down and thought, what is truly important?
Are the many things I do all necessary? Or should I dump some of the
stuff and instead take/make more time to spend with my loved ones.
I know the answer... and I have to admit, it will take some practice.
Things have become so important in our society... while relationships
have too often been ditched on the back-seat. We snap at people
brushing past them in speed... not thinking that our remarks may hurt
them. We do not consider how our words and deeds influence those around
us. At times it is more important for us that our things are
in order... than our relationships are blessed. Love - the foundation
of all life - is no longer the center of our lives... which results in
stress, unhappiness, and unfulfillment.
Things do not make us happy... neither does the next step on a
career-ladder... love makes us happy. Love gives us wings. Love helps
us create real beauty. Love makes our lives worth living.
I recently read an interesting article by Dean Ornish, M.D. who in his long medical and scientific career admits that
it is love that brings healing to our bodies more powerfully than the
change of diet, exercise, sleep, or any other good health habit.
The doctor says, "I have no intention of diminishing the power of diet
and exercise or, for that matter, of drugs and surgery. There is more
scientific evidence now than ever before demonstrating how simple
changes in diet and lifestyle may cause significant improvements in
health and well-being. As important as these are, I have found that
perhaps the most powerful intervention -- and the most meaningful for
me and for most of the people with whom I work, including staff and
patients -- is the healing power of love and intimacy, and the
emotional and spiritual transformation that often result from these."
Dean Ornish continues to say that love and intimacy are
at a root of what makes us sick and what makes us well, what causes
sadness and what brings happiness, what makes us suffer and what leads
us to healing. "If a new drug had the same impact, virtually every
doctor in the country would be recommending it for their patients. It
would be malpractice not to prescribe it -- yet, with few exceptions,
we doctors do not learn much about the healing power of love, intimacy,
and transformation in our medical training. Rather, these ideas are
often ignored or even denigrated," he says.
Dr.Ornish next describes the results of a research he has
conducted on women with cancer, saying, "Smoking, diet, and exercise
affect a wide variety of illnesses, but no one has shown that quitting
smoking, exercising, or changing diet can double the length of survival
in women with metastatic breast cancer, whereas the enhanced love and
intimacy provided by weekly group support sessions has been shown to do
just that."
Loving others and receiving love contain the greatest healing power available...
and it is completely free! There is nothing more fulfilling and
satisfying in life than the act of loving and being loved. It is the
most profound experience we can have. Love is essential for our mental
and physical as well as our spiritual well-being. It is indispensable
for our survival. Love is more than just a feeling, it involves body,
mind, and spirit, bringing healing to each of those parts of our being.
Have you ever noticed how much better you feel physically and how your
mood improves when you receive a hug or affection from someone who
loves you or when you have expressed your love to someone?
In Holistic Health magazine a mother - Cynthia Perkins - being
well aware of the healing power of love, describes her relationship
with her son, saying, "Loving and being loved actually improves our
level of health. I have witnessed this truth in my own life over and
over. When my son moved out on his own, I had a severe decrease in my
immune function and level of functioning during the first few months. I
was grieving the loss of his presence, the loss of the act of loving
him on a daily basis and the relationship itself. As my grief lessened
and I began to adjust then I went back to my normal level of
functioning. When we spend time together it always boosts my immune
system and my mood. Thus illuminating the astounding impact that love
and grief have on our health. I have heard similar testaments from many
other people."
Lets stop the speed on this Mothers' Day and take - make -
time to spend with the person who has poured all her love into our
lives, into our success, and happiness. Lets do something fun together:
a walk by the ocean, three generations together baking a cake, picnic
in the nature, or a long-long phone-call if mom is far away... there
are so many wonderful things we could do. Lets bless our mothers by
spending quality time with them, by lavishing our love and care on
those heroines in our lives... and we in turn will be blessed.
Every one of You, who are mothers, may You be greatly blessed. Each of You is so very special and valuable... a real treasure.
Golden Girls hit the nail, when they said, "It's not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it." From the television show The Golden Girls
By Eve Juurik
Body-Mind-Spirit Health, Fitness & Beauty in Organic Way
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