To be or not to be…

Mother’s Day is a very interesting holiday for many.

• a joyous for those who have mothers who are still living, and they have a good relationship with.
• a sad reminder that your mother has passed or that you are not in touch with her.
• a wonderful day that you get to spend with your children because you are a mother.
• a painful reminder of a child that has passed.
• a heartbreaking reminder that you have miscarried or are unable to carry a child.
• a harsh reminder of the emotional, political and financial struggles to adopt.

This Mother’s Day I was lucky enough to spend the day with my daughter, mother and grandmother. We enjoyed the day in each other’s company. After lunch we decided to participate in a ‘Four Generations’ challenge; with a Mother’s Day twist. This was quite a bit of fun and made us laugh while trying to get it right.

 

 

In the spirit of Mother’s Day, I think I will quote Hamlet, “To be, or not to be, that is the question”. Considering recent events, I think it is extremely important to recognize that all women should have control over their own bodies. This includes EVERYTHING. Not limited to a group of choices that may range from clothes, hairstyles, makeup and tattoos.

Many people feel it is their right, not only to have an opinion about what someone is doing with their body, but also to control what choices are available for them to make. I am not sure why the need to control the decisions of those around us has been a compulsive fixation since the beginning of time. Women as a whole have always been controlled and restricted by men. This includes an array of topics, including but not limited to knowledge, the right to work, vote, drive, purchase property, have access to medications (ie: birth control), play sports and so on. By restricting health care and our choices to medical procedures it’s just one of the many ways that demonstrates how we are not yet equals.

The choice to be a Mother is a very important one and is one that should be given to every woman. The choice to not be a Mother is equally important. The reason behind either decision is intimate and personal and does not need to be justified, disclosed or rationalized to anyone. Let me say that one more time. The reason behind either decision is intimate and personal and does not need to be justified, disclosed or rationalized to anyone.

As a human race we need to take a good look at ourselves and the world we have created. A world where we fight harder to keep a cluster of unwanted cells than we do to protect children who are dying in schools and at our border. A world where we are so self-righteous, that we have the audacity to believe that we should be able to control the bodies of others.