"We never shall have any more time. We have, and will always have, all the time there is"
-- Arnold Bennett
WE HAVE ALL THE TIME THERE IS
When we dash and dart through our days, trying to hold and control time, it turns into jagged glass, cutting into our serenity. But when we breathe to embrace it and calmly flow, fully present, from activity to activity, moment to moment, we become one with time and seem to have more than enough. There is no need to feel the pressure of time when we are aligned with spirit. When we release out limited and fearful thoughts about time we seem to embrace the hours of our day and relax into them rather than struggling against the clock.
We are called on to juggle many balls, some of them crystal, some made of backyard mud. We can often feel is if we are whirling out of control. Recently I saw the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey perform a 700-year-old Islamic sema ceremony. White robed men spun their way to serenity in a form of moving contemplation. It all reminded me of the dance of motherhood. Rather than allowing the flurry of our everyday existence to knock us into a giddy response, it is possible to experience the serenity in the immediate.
The seemingly endless rotation of the Whirling Dervish dancers is symbolic of our days and nights as parents. When we raise our hopes, dreams, prayers, and needs to the heavens, as the dancers raise their palms to Allah, we are mothered, fulfilled, fed, and tended to. We are grounded by our link with the Divine and anchored to an eternal sustaining light. We are spinning, but not out of control. We remain balanced when we lose our keys, are late for karate, or never get to the day's work quota.
As Mother's Day approaches we can be assured that we are indeed mothering in the light. Becoming a mother enriches our own spiritual life. We are stretched, in more ways than one, and changed after becoming mothers. Part of that change is a miraculous opening to even more love than we ever thought possible and a life with dimension and transformation.
My Mother's Day prayer for you is:
Just as the dancers maintain their physical axis, never getting dizzy, so do you remain centered and at peace. Your yearning for transcendence is quenched within the rhythm of your everyday life and you find the guiding light within to nourish and sustain you.
Happy Mother's Day!
--Mimi
WEEKLY TIPS
May 8-14:
One of the most common questions parents ask me is, "How, in this materialistic, competitive world, can I raise kind children?" My answer is to begin by being a kind adult. When your child sees you go the extra mile to help a friend, carry someone's groceries, make a meal for the new family that just moved in, or invite people in to your life who aren't exactly like you, your child will naturally see loving kindness as the way to live. We are mirrors for our kids, and when they observe our examples of kindness, they'll know where to begin. Take action this week to model kindness to your children, even the smallest effort will be noticed and mirrored back to you when you least expect it.
May 15-21:
"Gratitude" seems to be an overused word these days, but go ahead and overuse being thankful. When we are grateful for all the blessings in our lives, we shower ourselves in grace. A grateful heart minimizes envy and multiplies our gifts. Gratitude is indeed the mother of all prayers. So, make a list of 10 things for which you are grateful and tape it on your bathroom mirror. Greet your sleepy self each morning this week with 10 of your gratitudes and notice a shift in energy.
May 22-28:
Include your children in conversations instead of talking over their heads. Often we assume that our kids can't understand what we are discussing with other adults and talk as if they are invisible. Respect your children and when appropriate bring them up to speed in conversations.
May 29-31:
The end of the school year can bring lots of banquets, celebrations, and ceremonies. Our kids might feel "less then" if they don't make the honor roll, win a sport's prize, or receive a coveted party invitation. Remind yourself, and your kids, that there is enough good to go around. We live in a bountiful universe. We never miss out when we are balanced, remain true to ourselves, and follow our intuitive inner guidance. Envy, jealousy, and gossip knock us off that spiritual center. Be attentive, this week, to remaining centered and aware of your inner guidance. Follow your intuition about even small choices. Create your own "end of the school year" celebrations for your children as a simple marker of another year complete.
"I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt
THE ULTIMATE JOURNEY
Mothering is the ultimate journey of transformation and discovery. Once the rhythm of caring for a child begins, the masks must drop - your presumed role description, old programming about parenting, fears about being inadequate - and you are forced to dissolve into what is in each moment. What sustains you in the midst of self-doubt and fear is simply operating from a well of true love. Love keeps you going as it guides and ultimately releases you, whole, to this glorious new relationship with your child.
It is exhilarating to realize that it's your turn to define this mother role. You are the grown-up, the Mommy, and may now craft a family based on thoughtful, creative, soul-felt intentions.
Mothering is a rich and creative activity. Fostering and nourishing your child's spirit is as creative an endeavor as writing a novel or painting a masterpiece.
Motherhood as a creative expression lies before you. Opportunities to explore this creativity will present themselves to you each day. You can put your toddler in front of a television - or in front of an easel. You can give your baby a bath with your hands while your mind is busy sorting through the data needed for an upcoming talk - or you can bring yourself fully to the smell of lavender-scented suds, the sound of gleeful squeals, and the vision of sunlight shooting in to illuminate sweet baby skin.
Tap into your creative well and free your spirit as practice for the creative mothering possibilities ahead.
I SURRENDER MY WORRY
A Mother's Prayer
Dear God, I surrender my worry about my child's well being to your Divine love and grace.
I let go of controlling and over thinking each aspect of this situation with __________ and place him/her in your loving care.
Thank you for taking this burden from me and infusing me with strength and faith as I put my trust in you.
I know that the highest and the best is now unfolding for __________ in this very moment.
You who have provided us with an abundant universe and joy beyond measure are providing for this child, and I know that perfect order is at work.
I am so very grateful for all the blessings in my life and thank you for moving me, in this situation, to a deeper experience of trust and faith.
Thank you, God.
A recent issue of "Real Simple Magazine" featured an article about "Mom's Best Advice" for a simpler life, and quoted Mimi's mother's advice to her:
"Always make your bed. That way you know that at least one thing is in order during your day."
What advice did your mother give you that has influenced how you live your life? We'd love to know.
Editor@SpiritualParenting.com
A HAPPY VOICE
A mother we know composed this prayer that she says regularly:
God, help me to be a happy voice in my daughter's life today.
It is a privilege to have this time with her. I don't want to hurry my way through these precious years; I want to savor every minute and have fun with our child.
Help me take this responsibility seriously, but not too seriously. Help me to remember to laugh more.
And give me the strength I need to be patient when I feel I have no patience left, to listen when my ears are full, and to forgive myself when I blow it.
Her very life is a miracle to be treasured and respected.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to help this child grow.
--Mother of one
PARENTS' CHECK-IN QUESTIONS
Find a quiet place. Perhaps light a candle. Close your eyes. Then, consider these questions, and the answers that show up as your Mother's Day Gift.
