subject: The Meaning of Motherhood [print this page] The Meaning of Motherhood The Meaning of Motherhood
Not all cultures and languages have a word for everything. A book written by a pair of scientists living on a remote South Pacific island reports that when asked to bring them a coconut, the local looked at them questioningly, as there was no local native word for coconut, but only descriptions of the various stages of usefulness, from green to almost gone. But we all know how to say Mom, Mama, or whatever the word for mother is in our first language.
Throughout history, famous people have credited the influence of motherhood for making then what they were. Abraham Lincoln said; "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother." And Honore' de Balzac voiced his experience of a mother's support, saying; "The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness."
We can say that motherhood is the cumulative experience of conceiving, giving birth, and then nurturing and raising children. Yet, many mothers did not bear their children physically. Through adoption or just certain sets of circumstances, the woman who raised a person often becomes their mother, though they did not give birth to them.
The role of motherhood is a difficult and even dangerous one. The rate of death related to pregnancy and birth is low now compared to earlier times, due to advances in medical care. But still over time, and considering all areas, the death rate of mothers due to childbearing may be around one out of one-hundred. The task of raising a child, while now involving the father to a far greater extent than before, is a difficult one and many of the demands fall on the mother. Mothers are expected to be available for their children, all day, all night, and all the time. Though the job of motherhood is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding possible, it is also one of the most demanding and least materially rewarded. One young mother uses the following line, a quote from Anne Morrow Lindbergh, as a closing to her blog posts: "By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class."
A quick check will show anyone that cares to look that things have not changed much. Although fathers are now more to be seen driving kids to school, carrying the baby on their back or front, or hosting a play party for the local youngsters, more often than not, the person making the birthday cake, apply the cure for a scraped knee, or rocking the baby to sleep, will be the mother.
