What moms need, redux
Re-posting thoughts from a year ago on Mothers' Day, which has its roots in the women's peace movement.
Dear friends: it’s been quite a hectic week, and when I sat down to write, this piece from last year seemed (sadly) still relevant.
On a day when we are asked to celebrate “motherhood,” can we not commit ourselves to creating communities where moms (and dads and other caregivers) don’t have to experience a moment of fear when they send their kids to school?
Can we not commit ourselves to ensuring that the mothers (and fathers and other caregivers) of the thousands of children entering our borders, seeking a chance to live a safer life, do not have to put their lives in the hands of human smugglers?
Can we not commit ourselves to insisting that working moms (and parents and caregivers) earn a living wage, can access health care for themselves and their families, and save for a modestly comfortable retirement?
Maybe mothers (and fathers, and all who care for other members of our human family) don’t need more chocolate; maybe they need justice, peace, and safety.
And for a powerful reminder that the roots of this day are not in commerce, or sentiment, but in the women’s peace and suffrage movements:
Be safe and well, and take care of the moms (and dads and all kinds of caregivers) in your life, including yourself.
