Sharing The Story of Motherhood

Taking Care of the Teacher in Us All

I am lucky to have close friends that are in similar stages of motherhood and some who are a little farther along the path of mothering.  We are able to share resources and companionship.   One of my friends introduced me to the book Momma Zen, Walking The Crooked Path of Motherhood by Karen Maezen Miller.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and had difficulty choosing a passage-so I am passing along two!

On teaching:

"Your child is a tireless teacher, constantly probing your self-imposed limits and boundaries, your self-centeredness, your sheer stubbornness.  It is a thankless job, and who would want it?  But each day your child comes to work again, taking up the monumental task.  You must be a teacher too.  Of agile exits and negotiations, of quick turns and pirouettes.  Of all the inventive ways to go through life instead of banging it head on.  There is a deft elegance to the mother who has mastered this dance, the dance with no choreography.  She is fluid and round.  She smiles and laughs easily.  She breezes along as if anything were possible.  Like a child."

Self care:

"Finding calm in the midst of fury, finding inspiration in the midst of despair, finding strawberry jam sandwiched between the sofa cushions, finding the splinter betwixt two tender toes.  Moms can find anything in a pinch, except a moment for themselves.  Meditation is the best way to find that moment.  It is the best way to find any moment, and telling you how to meditate is the only lasting good that I can give you.  A regular (or irregular!) meditation practice will give you more of the focus and discipline you need to do everything else: listen, talk, teach, comfort, work, play, relax, go to sleep, wake up, and do it all over again.  It's a little bit of attention paid to yourself so you can give all the rest of your attention away."

So, on this mother's day, I do not intend to go to a spa or "get away".  This Sunday, I relish the opportunity to mother, soak up the challenges with a laugh and then take the time to sit quietly and meditate.

Be well,

- Nancy Charlesbois PT, MT