This Thing Called Motherhood…
June 4, 2008 | 5 Comments
It feels a little ‘unstylish’ for lack of a better word to be writing about motherhood just as the ultimate celebration of fatherhood looms front and center. But, what can I say…this is what’s on my mind.
In contemplating what motherhood has been and continues to mean in my life, I wonder whether it is most appropriately defined as a noun or a verb? Is mothering merely a biological function which allowed me to carry life within my womb and sustain it through child birth?
Or is it more aptly described in the context of mothering? As descriptive of the ongoing nourishment of life that transforms the giver and the receiver in much the same way that the physical stretching of the skin confirms the fact that something has happened within one’s body. A process which has placed it’s one peculiar branding of ownership… guaranteeing that one will never be the same.
The success of motherhood may be highly dependent on some factors which are totally outside of a woman’s control. Take for instance….where one becomes a mother. Where one becomes a mother determines many things about the success of the process. If a woman is fortunate to enter into motherhood while living in a Scandinavian country, a 2006~ 2007 report by Save the Children indicates that she has done so in the best place in the world!
The worst place to become a new mama according to the report is the sub Saharan African continent. Incidentally, the place of my birth. In a cruelly unforgiving way, grim statistics indicate that being a mom in sub Saharan Africa, may literally entail a brush with death; either within the process of pregnancy or through the miracle that is entailed when bringing forth an emerging new life.
Every minute, someone on the planet is literally putting her life on the line to become a new mom. It is a fact. Every minute in time, a woman meets her death as she struggles to bring forth life.
The chances of survival to the one year birthday are equally stark….2 Million newborns will die on the day they are born and even more before they reach their first birthday.
But, what is most striking is that 6 of the 10 Million children who die every year could easily be saved by preventing the conditions which kill them in the first place. Prevention which involves clean water, proper sanitation and vaccinations.
This does not have to be expensive. There are many wonderful organizations around the world who are doing their part to mitigate this vale of tears which shrouds the joy of motherhood in so much suffering for women and children around the world. One such organization is Save the Children, an organization dedicated to helping people in some of the world’s most difficult circumstances.
I think that the highest use and definition of the word motherhood is in life giving action. The action of sustaining, caring and loving life. The action of fighting for the rights of those who cannot yet defend themselves. The action of giving of one’s self sacrificially for the welfare of another. Motherhood is not mere physical activity, its’ highest calling is the embrace of the enduring spirit of courage, strength and grace which resides in women from every tribe, people, race and tongue. A spirit which celebrates life even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
May 9, 2008 Weekend Challenge
May 9, 2008 | 1 Comment
Sunday is Mother’s Day, and my challenge for you is to reach out to the Mom’s you love. Reach out to all the special women in your life that have made an impact on you.
For me, I am going to do something a little different this year.
This year, I am going to be sending a special ecard. Women for Women International is doing something amazing. When you go to their Mother’s Day homepage, you can read about Elizabeth and her story of triumph, and you can also send a special ecard to your favorite Mom that can help change the life of a Mother who is a survivor of war. On the website they explain it best…
“Your Mother’s Day Donation Makes 3 Women Happy.
You get the gratification of knowing you’re helping a woman survivor of war, the woman you honor feels the special joy of being loved and a woman who lives half a world away gets the tools she needs to build a better life.”
I’m not sure if it can get better than that. So grab your credit card, head on over to Women For Women International’s Mother’s Day page and make three women happy with a click of a button. This challenge, you can’t pass up!
Happy Mother’s Day to all!
Imagine
October 3, 2007 | 1 Comment
As I sat down this evening to write this post about Women for Women International and their Iraq program, I struggled to find the right words to convey to you the absolute need for programs such as these. Instead of words, I found images… Pictures in my mind and heart that spoke more clearly and more forcefully than any words read on a blog post:
Imagine a woman.
Imagine a mother.
Imagine a wife who has just learned that she is a now a widow… Just another one of many who have lost their husbands, their brothers, their fathers, their friends, to the ugly war tearing through their world. Imagine the look on her face as she watches her children play about her feet; the look on her heart as she realizes that she has nothing to offer them. She has no money, no education, no profitable skill, no hope.
Imagine this mother surrounded by a war… A war that makes widows out of women such as she. A war that makes pawns and tools of war of such as she. A war that makes victims of the innocent such as she.
Can you see her?
Can you see this woman? This mother?
Good.
Now help her.
Women for Women International helps women in conflict and post-conflict environments such as Iraq develop the skills necessary to grow from victim to survivor to active citizen. Their sponsorship program provides everything from basic life supplies like clean water, food, and shelter to the necessary education and training needed for these women to become wholly self-sufficient.
As I sat down this evening to write this post about Women for Women International and their Iraq program, I struggled to find the right words to convey to you the absolute need for programs such as these.
Instead of words, I found images… and this link.
A Mother’s Guide to the Perfect House Party
June 11, 2007 | 5 Comments
Summer’s finally here! The air outside is warm, the pools are cold, and the barbeque pits are just waiting in gleeful anticipation for that first hopeful flicker of fire and hot dogs. It is the season of big family gatherings, picnics in the park, neighborhood block parties, sleepovers and potlucks.
It’s also the season to discuss some of my favorite tips and tricks that every mother should know when it comes to throwing that perfect summer house party!
Now, I’m sure you wondering why you are reading about house party tips here on Mothers Fighting for Others. How are hostess tips, wonderful as they may be, conducive to our mission? Well, let’s find out shall we?
- First, decide what you want to do.
Choose an event that’s guaranteed to bring in the guests. Will it be a good old fashioned barbeque? How about a Fourth of July neighborhood get-together? An intimate dinner party for friends or a large potluck for the office?
- Next, pick a date and time.
Be heedful of conflicts. Take a look over that calendar and decide on a date that’s best for both your schedule and those you have invited.
- Get a little help and then give some in return.
According to their website, the Global Fund for Women has raised and awarded over $56 million dollars to 3,371 women’s organizations in 165 countries. A large portion of these grants came from the fundraising efforts and events of individuals like you and me and those little summer barbeques and neighborhood block parties.
Some examples (click here for a full reference):
Vivian Slade organized a silent auction, along with theater, music, dance and refreshments at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. When describing her efforts, she said “I didn’t know I had this in me to do. It’s like someone lit a fire under me!” She rallied her network of businesswomen, members of the Nashville Association of Refugee and Immigrant Women, university women, actors, dancers and musicians. “I like the Global Fund because you are enabling people to take care of themselves. You’re giving them the money because they know exactly what to do with it,” says Vivian.
On the West coast, in Palo Alto, California, Christine Harris invited friends and colleagues to her home for an intimate gathering. A long-term supporter, Christine has found that when she talks about the Global Fund for Women, people respond well to the idea of supporting grassroots women’s groups. “You have the sense that your money is going to real people, with real need, and that it will make a difference.”
GlobalFundforWomen.org provides party throwers a wonderful free organizing kit that includes information on everything from ideas on what type of event to have to suggestions on how to get the word out and the guests in. The GFW even offers hosts a free website to help promote their house party or event and raise even more funds to help aid the ongoing struggle for human rights throughout this world in which we live.
So, what are you waiting for?
Make this summer’s party season about more than just laughter and joy. Make it about hope. Make it about a difference.
Oh! And should you be in my area around July 20th, feel free to stop by and join us for a little backyard barbeque and potato salad. I’ll provide the food and fun… All I ask is that you bring a dollar and a smile.
For more information on the GFW or to find out how to organize a party of your own, visit Globalfundforwomen.org
Outreach Asia
April 3, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Mike and Gina Peck really had their work cut out for themselves in 2000 when they founded Outreach Asia, but thanks to a staff that operates solely on volunteers, they are able to donate more than 95% of the money that they raise to fund the basic necessities of life to hundreds in Southeast Asia. That is huge!
Right now, Outreach Asia is using all of its generous donations to provide clean water, upgrading educational services, and providing much needed medical care for the many people in this region affected by leprosy.
They have sponsorships available for children and families on their website, as well as information on all of their ongoing projects throughout
Southeast Asia.
I am constantly amazed and inspired by the people and stories that I come across as I research information for these posts. I have been “introduced” to some really amazing people while compiling some of this information, both by the giving and receiving end of these gifts to humanity. There is a great little story about Mother Theresa on their site about how to end poverty…. but that’s a whole other post in itself!!!
Mike and Gina Peck have done all of the research and have the system in place. You can help them continue their work by donating to the work in Southeast Asia.
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