Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to you. It doesn't matter whether you have children or not. It doesn't matter whether you gave birth to children yourself, whether you adopted children or whether you have none.

My idea of that day expanded when one of my sons and daughters-in-law couldn't have children in the early years of their marriage. It was so painful for them both, but I recall my daughter-in-law saying how painful Mother's Day was for her. All her sisters and sisters-in-law were having babies and celebrating that day. As it turned out, a few years later they did have a lovely family of their own. In the meantime, though, tears and sorrow dogged them on those special days.

That whole experience made me look at Mother's Day in a new way. Now I often send cards to women in my life who have nurtured and nourished me along the way. I send cards to and celebrate women who have given birth to dreams, hopes, projects, art, books, ideas and all manner of things. If you are a woman who tends the inner fires and works on her personal growth, you are also giving birth to your self. Surely that's worth celebrating.

And so I celebrate each one of you for all you've brought into the world—and for all you've nurtured and inspired toward growth and transformation. Kudos to you. Keep up the good work—for the world is full of people in need of nurture and ideas in need of birthing and creating.