Mother’s Day

I wrote this early this morning on Mother's Day.

The phrase "Beannaich thu” (roughly pronounced BAN-uhkh oo) is the Scottish Gaelic utterance for bless you.

Some Mothers

Some mothers lost a child in childbirth and will carry that grief for life. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers gave birth as teenagers and grew up quickly. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers sunk into a dark place after birthing a child. Beannaich thu..

Some mothers were not ready to mother and gave their child away. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers left an abusive relationship and endured hardship. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers lost their loved ones to drunken drivers. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers gave birth to a child with a disability. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers entered a recovery program during pregnancy. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers never knew who fathered their child. Beannaich thu.

Some men lost their partner and mothered as best they could. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers were not fit to be mothers and their children suffered. Beannaich thu.

Some individuals could never become mothers and found other ways to mother. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers are presently weeping from exhaustion. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers lost their sanity while mothering and committed atrocities. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers pretended to be an aunt while another family member raised their child. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers continue to suffer after their child came to a tragic end. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers discovered they were giving birth to twins or triplets. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers never held the child they longed to carry. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers gave birth in war zones, surrounded by fear. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers nurtured children who were not their own. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers were incarcerated and birthed behind bars. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers watched their child disappear into addiction. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers gave birth to stillness, not to cries. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers raised children in shelters and food lines. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers walked away for reasons nobody knew. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers sat at their child’s deathbed, powerless. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers never got to say goodbye. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers mothered while mourning their own mother. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers learned to mother after years of not knowing how to mother. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers felt nothing after birth and lived with lingering guilt. Beannaich thu.

Some mothers mothered in silence, hiding truths too heavy to tell. Beannaich thu.