I am not one for spending a single day to celebrate life and love. I have an abiding belief that we are to endeavor to reflect love every day. On days like Mother’s Day I do agree it is a good idea to spend some time highlighting appreciation for mothers and mother figures. I am on this occasion, of the mindset that it would be better to end Mother’s Day Celebration.

On the one hand I realize that the economy gets somewhat of a boost because of the resources spent on Mother’s Day. This year it is estimated that upwards of 20 billion dollars will be paid out related to Mother’s Day. I think about the food served in the restaurants, the flowers purchased, the phone calls made and the greeting cards distributed.

The day is literally bursting at the seams with accolades to mothers. Yet I think we might be better off if we end Mother’s Day Celebration.

Some will visit the cemetery because their mothers have already transitioned, as has mine. Some will wonder where there mother is, as they were separated at birth. Some will wonder how their lives would have been different if their mother had not been emotionally absent from their lives. Some may try to imagine having a mother that shielded them from the abuse of their father; although my personal efforts for such an image ended long ago.

There are those that call their mothers their best friend. There are those that curse their mother for her inadequacies. There are some that are still holding onto the family secrets that cause them to live marginal lives; per her instruction. Yet I think we might be better off if we end Mother’s Day Celebration.

I no longer hold anger for my mother. I no longer second guess her life and the negative influences that carried over to the generations, which follow her. However, I have a heaviness in my heart related to Mother’s Day.

My heart is heavy regarding the treatment of women and girls, all of whom represent motherhood. I think if we must shift our emphasis to a daily respect for those who symbolize giving their very lives for another.

Women as a whole are the largest universally discriminated against group. Every country, seemingly every corner of the world places diminished value on the females among them. Some of the most heinous crimes committed are against women and girls.

From female genital mutilation where over 125 million women and girls still alive today have undergone the cutting of their genital organs for non-medical reasons, to the abducting of girls attempting to get an education, and just about everything you can think about in between. Rape, financial, and physical abuse. Sexual harassment at school and at work. Earning lesser pay for equal work done by their male counterparts. Bullying of women in nontraditional work roles by male coworkers.

Objectification in movies, on television and in advertising. Physical and social laws that promote women being treated with disregard for their abilities except for those related to sex.

This framework of devaluing females perpetrated by men and women has been recorded as far back as Biblical times. While this ungodly treatment appears in the word of God His commandment of love speaks loudly.

No all is not right in the world related to the treatment of men and boys. Nevertheless this poor handling of women and girls abounds, even in the enlightened climate of human rights in which we live. Some of the factors are so blatant, so poisonous it is as if people are numb and unable to respond. My source of hope for the future is God.

He knows all and is aware of these practices dating back millions of years. Whenever we look at people in the Bible that turned away from God’s will we see the same kind of disregard for the lives of women.

Today more than ever we need to return to His will. In Romans 12:2 we are told precisely how to prove the will of God.

How can we say that we love God and not love those we can see, or those who gave birth to us?

What if God notices how we treat women and girls? What if what we do every day matters?

As my Mother’s Day comes to a close I appreciate all of the well wishes I received around this day. I appreciate the text messages, phone calls and the prayers sent up on my behalf. I appreciate the smiles that returned when I did the same for others. So I am not yet ready to end Mother’s Day Celebration, however I do want women and girls to feel loved every day of the year! And men and boys too!

Love,

Deborah

“Lighting the path to loving your neighbor as yourself.”