How I spent my mother’s day:
Chanting the Guru Gita at the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center / shopping at Trader Joe’s / taking a long afternoon nap / visiting my dear friend Vic Ramstetter while she recuperates from knee replacement surgery at her mother’s. I couldn’t wish my mother ‘Mother’s Day’ because she passed away two years ago. Still, I intuitively sent a few messages along the lines of ‘You know I’m thinking of you . . . wherever you are.’
Someone on Twitter mentioned about remembering our Spiritual Mothers as well. First I would have to include Grandma Katie. Katie (Katherine Rentschler) Drees adopted my mother from the Children’s Home after her biological mother had died. Even through her stern Germanic demeanor, I knew she loved me. Sometimes I say I had two mothers. I was grandma’s favorite. With five kids, my own mother had her hands full.
Other spiritual mothers include Gurumayi, certainly; no matter that she is younger than I. I’ll also name Veena Kedia who is my other half of the Seva Coordinating Team at the local meditation center. Although Amma (Amritanandamayima) is not my guru, this Hugging Saint is everyone’s mother as she gives us each our moment in her lap. My friendly ex, Janice Uhlman, is always there for me especially when I have tears. I would be remiss to not remember a few teachers along the way who mentored me.
In my head I am hearing a chant I believe comes from Libana: “The Earth is our Mother, we must take care of Her.” You may refer to Her as Gaia or Demeter or the 1,001 names of Goddesses from many diverse cultures. Whichever name you prefer, listen to the tune, believe the chant: it is true and it’s almost too late. That one word ‘almost’ gives us an opportunity whether we take it by eating lower on the food chain, composting, growing our own herbs and vegetables, recycling, driving less — we know what to do. Now in the name of The Mother we must do it.
poem
In the name of the Mother
we look at nature around us
and pray to do our share
Goddesses & Poetry 