Mothering

Mothering
After my sister died of cancer and I began to suffer with insomnia, I spent more time talking with my mother, either on the telephone or while visiting her in Palm Springs. “You’re going to be just fine. It will pass,” my mother told me time and time again. Just hearing her reassurance gave me comfort.

Mothering is a source of comfort, at any age, and in many forms. I feel it with my husband, when he brushes my thick brown hair, or makes blueberry pancakes for breakfast. I find it with a friend, as she gives me advice over a long lunch of Caesar salads. A teacher’s praise is mothering. A doctor’s patience is mothering. A hairstylist washing my hair is mothering. A neighbor giving me lemons from her garden is mothering.

There is a mothering quality in each of us, man or woman, and tapping into that, feeling that, can give great comfort. We find it in a tone of voice, in a touch, in words, in silence. And we find it in ourselves, when we are alone.

Cultivating Comfort
Mothering is something you need at any age. Can you expand your notion of how and where you can experience mothering? Self nurture can be a generous form of mothering, so take time for a relaxing bath, or spend a few extra minutes brushing your hair, or treat yourself to a leisurely lunch. Can you find comforting ways to give yourself the love and patience you need right now?