November 4, 2014

Our Mother is our Shelter.

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Photo: Alice Popkorn

Snoring softly, so cozy and warm, nestled on my chest.

My feet hurt because I can’t sit down with you in the carrier. It is worth it because you are sleeping. Precious sleep, that unfettered, swallowing sleep that is only possible for children.

I know this moment will not last forever, so I breathe it in. The smell of you, your hair and sweaty little hands, coconut oil.

I tip toe around, not to wake you. The world will be loud and unbearable soon enough.

I am your shelter, the warmth and solidity on which you rest your head. You need me now, more than you ever will.

I am sure it will be painful, the moment I realize that you don’t need me anymore. But we never stop needing our mother, not really. It makes me think of my own mother and how far away she is. Was I this unaware and blissful in my infant slumber?

It has to be universal, this comfort and shelter that we find within our mother. Not just our human mothers, but our Earth Mother.

In the same way that I cradle my innocent baby, the Earth cradles us.

Shielding and protecting us from the unbearable silence and brightness that is our Universe. I will not be able to enjoy her forever, so I breathe in her heady musk: loamy, rich, decaying leaves. The nourishment that she provides with ripe, sweet fruits, crisp verdant foliage and the luscious brine of the sea sustain me.

I know that it is painful. Instead of treading lightly, we have become a band of marauders, pillaging and decimating her fertile body. She is our shelter, the warmth and solidity upon which we rest our heads. We need her now, more than we ever will.

There will never be a moment when we don’t need our Mother.

As the Earth turns towards her annual slumber, let us remember that she is our shelter. She is the only place to call home in our ever expanding Universe and that we must preserve her beauty and grandeur at any cost, so that we can continue to revel in the comfort of her arms and rest our weary heads on her lush bosom.

Let’s take this time of silent rebirth to examine our relationship with the Mother and to renew our commitment to keeping her alive, healthy and viable.

No longer innocent, the time of our slumbering ignorance is over.

Now is the time for action and every good deed counts.

So sleep, baby, sleep, and trust that I will always be there for you.