At my church several years ago, some well-meaning passed out carnations to all the mothers in the pews on Mother's Day. Most Sundays, I am one of only two or three single people in church, and on that day, I was the only woman who didn't have a flower. I was stopped as I was leaving, given a flower, and when I said, "oh! I don't have children!" was told, "that's ok. You will someday!"
I haven't been back on Mother's Day since.
And so, pastoral types, if you get a minute before next Sunday, do give this a look.
This is why if people want to give flowers on Mother's Day they should go back to giving everyone a flower to wear based on their own mother... (well actually originally we had to buy our own, but after everyone had stopped doing it, someone had the bright idea to bring it back by buying enough carnations to do so at my church) though I guess that would bother those who had bad relationships with their mothers (and those who were having to wear a white one for the first time because their mothers had passed away in the last year) so it's not entirely safe either, but at least it would be better than that kind of nonsense!
ReplyDeleteSo this comes back to a question L and I had thought about re weddings-- how do we celebrate that which it is right and meet so to celebrate without impugning or demeaning its opposite (e.g., singleness, no children)? E.g., yes, it is wonderful and right to celebrate mothers, but how do we do this without breaking the hearts of those who cannot be or are not mothers? Or: How do we celebrate the joy and sanctity of marriage without implying that those unmarried are less joyous, less holy/blessed, or whatever?
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