Author’s note: With storytelling I always prefer a told story over a written story. Something about the human voice that is for me powerful. But I need to ask some forbearance with this audio. I had to find a studio to lay down the audio version. Trouble is I’m not at home, I’m some distance away at our place in Deep Bay on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, opening up for the summer. It is rustic to say the least and tiny so my ‘studio’ choices are limited. Besides as I write Edith, our French Bulldog is happily snoring away, blissfuly unaware that means I can’t record my blog inside. So necessity being the mother of invention our Subaru it is, windows closed, engine off, adequately muffling the sounds of the outside world. It’s a sweatbox. It is where this was recorded. My apologies.

What can I possibly write about mothers that hasn’t been written before or say that hasn’t been said a million times over? Nothing unique that’s for sure but somehow we never tire of it.

Mothers occupy a special place in our families and in our hearts. Most often she is the the sun in the

galaxy of our own family; all others, husband, father, sons and daughters orbiting around her, understanding over time that this is how it should be.

I have been married to two women and was present for the birth of all four of my children. Each time I was reduced to tears, humbled and awestruck by the extraordinary courage I had just witnessed, both women risking their own lives to give life to another human being. Of course, it takes us a while to really appreciate the enormity of what it all means.

In the beginning it’s not even a fair fight. What baby can’t be forgiven for thinking that there is just one person in the world, his or her mother. I can only think the birthing experience from the babies perspective is jarring, to say the least.

“I was fine. I’d kind of gotten used to where I’d been happily floating for the past nine months. I mean every once in a while someone would prod and poke and try to get me to move. I mean what the heck. Leave me alone damn it! What have I done to you? So what if I was upside down it was no skin off their nose. I was in this beautiful, warm float chamber which came I should say with every mod con a baby could need. And then without any warning out of nowhere Boom! All hell broke loose.

I was being pushed along a dark corridor, squished uncomfortably along this passage, muffled sounds of screaming and foul language penetrating through. And try as I might I could nothing about it. Good Lord it was a tight fit. And then at the end of it all, I was thrust out into this cold room, strange hands all over me, bright lights blinding me. Have to say it was not a great first impression. But then, a nipple. With food. Took some getting used to but once I got the hang of it. Yum.”

And unseen through all of that, one singular life giving force: the mother, from that moment on forsaking her own needs for the rest of her years. Forsaking her private ambitions and goals and dreams, willingly submitting her body, summoning a courage that would leave any man who witnessed it humbled, awestruck at the sheer bravery of it all. It is a gift of indescribable love that elevates the mother to a place in her family no other can be.

She is The Sun.

The source of life. Our lives.

When Mother’s Day comes around give her a card. Make sure it’s a nice one and say something nice. Don’t worry about the words you use. It’s too big for words. Just mean it. That’s all she wants.