Today is Mother’s Day here in the United States. There are similar holidays in other countries such as Mothering Day in the U.K. but our holiday is unique to us. We give thanks to all those in our lives who have mothered or nurtured us. To nurture is to provide the different facets of support to enable another being or thing to be healthy and grow.
We nurture or tend to our gardens so they will flourish. It is the same with people that we care for. We tend, support, listen, encourage, feed, or otherwise foster the well-being and growth of another. We make them feel comfortable and safe when we’re together; and thought of and supported when we’re apart.
Many people grew up without knowing what that meant. Perhaps they grew up without a mother or nurturing figure in their home. Perhaps they still need to be held and nurtured and gently guided toward the truth that they have always been lovingly held in the heart of God. May they be gently led toward acceptance of the past and become whole so that they might become a nurturer to themselves or others.
Nurturing takes many forms. Most of us have seen photos or videos of an orphaned baby animal being soothed, fed, and kept safe by an animal of an entirely different species. To nurture is to make another being feel that they matter, that they count. It is important to feel that to someone at some time they have made you a priority. Without this, we are adults going through life with an injured child’s heart and mind. We are forever looking for the one that truly sees us, that truly loves us. That is when we need to find that injured, unnurtured child, hold him/her in your heart and love that child into true life and living.
It is true that all of us were raised by unhealed parents. They were doing the best they could with what they knew. So, bless them, forgive them, release them, and let go of the past when you are able. Forgiveness can be difficult depending upon the circumstances but is necessary to go on and flourish.
But lest I spend all this time on how someone was not nurtured, let us consider all the ways nurturers serve others and the world. They make another feel safe, comfortable, loved, wanted, cherished, heard and a multitude of other ways that nurturers serve humanity and the world. This week I read the story of a nurse that adopted a 14-year-old girl and her newborn triplets, although she already had five children of her own.
There are so many examples I could point to, but it would take a great deal of time. So, today, let us honor the nurturers in our lives, those who lovingly serve. Blessed are the Nurturers, the teachers, the mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, the magnificent women who care for, guide, feed, comfort, make safe, or lovingly guide another in their time of need. It may be a soft touch during a difficult time, a listening ear, a word of comfort, or a prayer. Happy Nurturers’ Day, gentle but strong women. We honor you and thank you for this critical role that you provide. Love, RevJ