proud – WRITING INSIDE VT

Further reflection on the mother theme from last week, this one in response to these lines:

Image by Deborah Koff-Chapin at touchdrawing.com

You have to find a mother inside yourself. We all do. Even if we already have a mother, we still have to find this part of ourselves inside. – Sue Monk Kidd’s Secret Life of Bees

MOTHER WITHIN

You have to find a mother inside yourself. As a woman this is a part of who we are. However, that does not mean ‘becoming a mother,’ giving birth or raising an adopted child. The mother inside yourself is a very special being. She is compassionate and caring. She is nurturing and is a great listener.

The mother inside yourself sometimes hides for many years, or is something you have always wanted to become. Many women in today’s society have opted out of having children but, inside of them, there is still a mother. A woman who, on a day to day basis may mother herself, take care of the sick spouse, nurture and listen to the friend that got dumped via text message. When that mother comes out in each and every woman it is a proud and precious moment.

Mothers come in all shapes, forms, colors, big and little. Once we discover the mother within, she is here to stay! No matter the age you are, it feels amazing to be a mother to the myriad of people in your life. Also, when you have discovered the mother within, you can call forth the skills you’ve developed whenever you may need to, and be proud of it.

The writing from last week’s circle was so powerful, I need to post another response to the same prompt from the same Linda Pastan poem:

What we Want is Never Simple

I just wanted a break . . .

I wanted to figure out a way to live my day to day life and not dread getting out of bed every single morning. I wanted to do what I wanted to when I wanted to do it. I wanted to not worry about paying rent, feeding myself, or putting gas in the car.

I wanted to get high, stay high, and never ever have to go without being high.

I wanted to have a book published. I wanted to make my father proud. I wanted to do something bigger with my life than the mundane, barely-get-by-paycheck, pay bills, eat, sleep-and-do-it-again existence I feared so much. But mainly, I just wanted a break from the intense pressure of all these wants . . .

Now I am enclosed within walls 24 hours/day; no bills to pay, no worries about my next meal, or putting gas in my car. No worries about barely getting by on my paycheck; there is no getting by on $2/day. So yeah, in some ways, I guess I got what I wanted . . .

– JL