Each time there’s the loss of a mother, all of society suffers, since mothers are so essential to the development and nurturing of humankind.
Chicken soup, Avgolemono in my case, has become a metaphor for a mother’s love, since it provides comfort and sustains us both physically and emotionally.
For each of us, there are numerous immeasurable things that our mothers do for us that even later in life help us muster up the courage to face the hurdles of everyday life and to do what’s right: Going out of her way to talk with us when a friend hurts us; making sure our spiritual lives are developed; supporting and guiding us when we make mistakes; thinking of us when she’s out and about getting us something special that we didn’t expect; calling us just to let us know that she loves us.
Our mothers give everything and ask for nothing in return except for our happiness and stability. They make our fears and problems go away. They are all-giving, self-sacrificing and constantly forgiving, making their love a profound example of what it means to be a kind and loving human being.
Many cultures also identify a mother as creator and healer.
In my faith, it is the Theotokos, the mother of God, who is the Divine intercessor, who watches over us all.
In Judaism, Sarah, the wife of Abraham, is revered as the first matriarch of Judaism.
In the Tibetan/Himalayan religion, Guan Yin, the female form of Avalokiteśvara, is the beloved Bodhisattva of Compassion. Tara is known as the “Mother of all the Buddhas.”
“Mother Earth” is also an ancient concept symbolizing fertility and the source of all life.
In ecological terms, Mother Earth represents the interconnected systems—air, water, and ecosystems—that nurture humanity, reflecting a “nurturing mother” figure.
Scientist James Lovelock used the “Gaia” hypothesis to describe the Earth as a complex, self-regulating entity, treating the “Mother Earth” concept as a scientific metaphor for a living planet.
In short, “Mother” is also a profoundly popular, symbolic, and often spiritual way to describe our dependence on a living, nurturing planet.
A mother’s love is never ending and is literally the most sacred thing on the planet. So on this Mother’s Day, let’s be grateful for all mothers.
The Cultural Easton 