Reflection on Motherhood

A Sermon by Maria Walker
Preached at Urban Abbey on December 24, 2018

My experience of mothering begin many moons ago, but I will focus my attention today on what occurred 14 years ago. If you know my girls and can do the math, you can guess that this reflection does not begin with them. If that is your guess, you are correct. It was a little over 14 years ago that my sister and her husband shared with us that she was pregnant and my first nephew would arrive that following summer.

During that holiday season and well into the new year I would listen to the song Mary did you know over and over and over again. I would listen with excitement and anticipation wondering who this person would be that was just about to join our family. How would he add to the family dynamic?What would be some of his favorite things? I had this unique sense of excitement and anticipation of waiting and longing to know this little person.

And I thought of Mary and her feelings awaiting the arrival of a new member to her family. Did she feel that same wonder? What did she know as she took on this new role? Was she overwhelmed with the uncertainty of it all? I imagine she was feeling so many emotions, just as we were during this time of waiting.

Finally, on a hot day in July, the day of delivery arrived and Jack Durham Marable joined our family in all of his 10 pound and completely bald glory. About a month later, I was able to travel to Georgia to meet him. My plane landed in Atlanta and I then traveled the two hours it took to get to my sisters house. I remember walking into her dark and cool bedroom and seeing him for the first time in his bassinet. I remember having this unique experience of a complete flooding of emotion consuming me. My only logical reaction was to of course cry. I was so overwhelmed with the gift of this little boy and all the potential he had.

I stayed with my sister and brother-in-law during that time to help out. There were times when she was so exhausted but I would sleep on the floor beside her bed so I could be ready to help her as quickly as possible. I quickly learned that mothering was not glamorous, it afforded very little sleep, and it was not restricted to the experience of delivering biological children. It also involves a lot of bodily fluids and the true perfume of motherhood and a baby was actually spit up. I discovered that mothering, for me, was a commitment to being there for the spit up and the cooing noises, the sleepless nights and all the magic in between. It's the experience of inexplicable floods of love for the people that are gifted into my life, in whatever way they arrive.

I have since had 3 other nephews enter my life, 2 daughters, and many more little people with parents generous enough to allow me to share in some way in their mothering. With each one, the challenges and sacrifices remain, as does the magic and experience of floods of love. May we all give and receive that love to ourselves and others today.