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So often in the adoption world, we hear discussion after discussion about who is a Mother, what makes a Mother and who has the right to claim the title of Mother. Rarely are the thoughts ever united on such a topic even among those who should agree with one another. No two women view the topic exactly the same. And that’s one of the things that The Motherhood Project likes about Mothers and Motherhood.
The Motherhood Project was “founded on the premise that the media-fueled “mommy wars” are a harmful distraction, keeping mothers from joining forces and changing conditions for mothers and children.” Their mission is:
1. to improve social and economic conditions for mothers;
2. to foster a new sense of purpose, passion, and power in the work of mothering in both the private and public spheres; and
3. to bring fresh knowledge to bear to help mothers deal with the challenges of raising children in an age driven by the values of commerce and technology.
Now, whether you’re a birthmother, an adoptive Mother, a biological Mother, a stepmother, a hopeful Mother or someone’s child, improving things for both mothers and children seems to be beneficial for quite a few people in our world, doesn’t it?
Their Key Initiatives and Key Works-in-Progress are all very interesting. I’m personally interested in the book that is being written on Motherhood. I am curious to see if birthmothers will be included. My heart hopes that the answer is yes. That hope comes from this quote on their website which states their point of view:
We want to help build a mothers’ movement with room for all mothers — mothers employed in the workforce and mothers who are not; mothers of all races, backgrounds, and points of view; mothers who want to focus on mothers’ needs and rights; and mothers who also want to address the needs and rights of children. We seek to promote national conversations, and social, cultural, and policy changes informed by the diverse voices and views of all mothers.
My view of Motherhood will most likely always be skewed by my experiences as a birthmother. My unplanned pregnancy brought me through some hard times in which I learned that the economic playing field is not level for Mothers and asking for help is frowned upon by those who don’t have financial worries or woes. My quick ascent out of poverty taught me that even though certain groups of people didn’t want to help me during my pregnancy, finances can change quickly, for the good, of course and, unfortunate for those who looked down on me, also for the bad.
Motherhood is serious, hard work. We all too often separate ourselves with titles, short-comings and other “stuff” that really isn’t important in the grand scheme of our childrens’ lives. We need to learn to embrace one another. We need to learn to help one another. We need to learn to accept one another.
Even if they didn’t mean to, I feel included, as a birthmother, by the following statement on the top right of their site:
In keeping with our Call to a Motherhood Movement, we join with Momsrising, Mothers Ought to Have Equal Rights, the National Association of Mothers’ Centers, Mothers and More, and other mothers’ organizations across the nation in calling for an end to the “mommy wars” and a coming together of all mothers to address issues of shared concern.
Someone shares concerns with me. I am a Mother.
