Happy Mother's Day - An Ode to All Mothers

There is rich history behind the celebration of Mothers.  Written history shows it began in Ancient Greece with a celebration of Rhea, mother of many gods, to a three day Roman festival of Cybele, to the Christian honouring of the Virgin Mary.  Then the celebration of the Mother disappears...until the end of World War II as a way to increase sales.  

Modern Mother's Day celebration begins with Julia Ward Howe, who initiated Mother's Peace Day observance to fall on the 2nd Sunday of June (This is now celebrated as Father's Day).  It would be glorious is our world could consider having a day of Peace for Mothers.  I think we need to look back to the time when it was possible to hope for a world with no war.  A world where we do not have to worry about our children being taken away to do the bidding of those who wage the wars of the world.  Can we consider having a day where not one single shot echoes across the ether?  Would the leaders of our world honour their own mothers by declaring peace and cease fire for all peoples on May 12?  A day when mother's around the world will know their sons and daughters will come home in one piece.  I know I am asking a lot - honour the  women who have carried you in their womb, loved you unconditionally, given their hearts and soul in bringing you to the light of the world - one day with no gun fire, no bombings, no starvation, no sabotage.  Let's make Mother's Day a day of world peace so every mother, everywhere can have a day where they do not have to grieve their children.

Today, a vote on the Minnesota Senate floor is up to make marriage legal for ALL people who love each other.  There has been singing, chanting, hugging, tears, praying, debate, and conflict of beliefs.  It is my hope that all mothers of every gender identification can legally be recognized as mother and have the same rights as hetero mothers have had for a very long time.  The right to see their child in the hospital, the right to pick their child up from school, the right to take their child to the doctor, the right to file legal documents for their child, the right to adopt a child, the right to foster a child, the right to be a mother - not only in name and action but also in the eye of the law.

Next, we must work toward ensuring that mother's that have fled their country of origin to escape torture, persecution, rape, slavery, and horrors beyond most American's imagination are not surreptitiously ripped from the arms of their children because the White Privileged of this country have forgotten that they are immigrants too.

Solidarity to all Mothers!