Mother's Day

Eyes open slowly. Blurs run my sight. Gradually moving into focus, a female figure takes form, and my mind constitutes the figure as the central entity. With eyes wide open, nothing but sounds and cries release from my vocal cords to grab attention. Unknown to the reason I continue.

Discovering the world around me, the constant female figure begins to be my anchor for understanding the complex wonderment of the universe. Something builds, and names are thrown around. Without true meaning, the feeling of love and comfort surfaces when she is around. Making mouth movements and manipulating air within myself, the word comes up that has been repeated, and thus, I finally say it, Mother.

Mothers Day is a holiday that happens every second Sunday of May. Typically a day for children to commemorate all that their mother had done for them. Now in 2020, the season is a lot more critical and different from the traditional standard. What quantifies as a mother isn't just the person that gave birth to you but the one that is there for you. The person that takes care of you when you are unable to care for yourself. Someone who guides you and teaches you kindness and humility.

A mother figure has a lot more impact nowadays than a traditional birth mom. Now hear me out; not everyone can grow up with their moms or even have them around.

Having a mother figure and what it means to have a mother figure is so much more prevalent with the variety of families today. According to history, the American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Before the civil war, Anna would gather women and help them care for their children. After which developing a "holiday" where their children would praise women. Throughout the years, the idea of celebrating mothers has changed and grown to what it Is today.

Mother's Day is to commemorate all the moms and mom figures we have today. Alive or otherwise, it's celebrated to give thanks and appreciation for the guidance and care that has been passed down. It's essential to use what we've learned to be the best we can be.

Peace, love, care & nurture are the words that follow them. The warm emotions that help lift you & bring you joy. On the flip side, sometimes there isn't always a shining horse that comes with the mother of the year. We may not have what others cannot. Things may not have turned out the way it should have, but the idea of being present & caring is what contributes to the mother figure that we have seen through media.

In the showtime show, "Shameless," the mother is known as the bi-polar drunk who's impulsive & reckless. Even though the kids resent & don't respect her, it's who she is & the effect she had on the kids that helped make them who they are in the end.

The Bio Mom (biological mother) May have been gone or replaced, but it's essential to realize that their existence gave you something to work from. Whether it's a genetic makeup like the way the eyes look, or how their determination is passed down to you, their importance overtime helps breathe life into the world that was heavily focused on the male species. One of the main characters, "Fiona," ends up playing the mother role due to the absence of the mother. She learns the art of motherhood while growing up herself and being her own woman. The idea of maternity or a mother figure is taken in a different turn than the norm, and we see how a mother figure is developed and shown compared to the parents that are being represented.

Mother's Day is a day of celebration & appreciation. The mother figure is much more than a mother who gave birth to you. The art of motherhood is passed down & adopted by anyone (even though it's mainly women) who is nurturing & supportive. In other words, there aren't any limitations to one person; with the growth of society and expansion of the world, the act of promoting & supportive nature blooms into a more common aspect of development & life. So in a way, we thank all the mothers who came before. All the sacrifices, struggles & pain that was endured. We thank those who were accepting of not just themselves but the people they inspire. Thank you, moms, for the life & purity you've created & the legacies that have been. Happy Mother's Day!