Blessings, prayers, anecdotes and meditations from many faith traditions about the sacred undertaking that is motherhood. These words of hope and healing, pain and promise are for all mothers—traditional, single, adoptive, foster, step and bereaved.
Edited and with Introductions by Lynn L. Caruso
5 x 7¼, 272 pp | 978-1-59473-239-3
Connect with the birth, growth, change, joy, love and inner strength of mothering.
Take a spiritual voyage through blessings, prayers, anecdotes and meditations about the sacred undertaking that is motherhood. These words of hope and healing, pain and promise, are for all mothers—traditional, single, adoptive, foster, step and bereaved—and are drawn from many faith traditions, including Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Native American.
Special multifaith ceremonies offer ways to honor many aspects of motherhood, such as: becoming a new mother, either through birth or adoption; welcoming children into the larger community; and acknowledging the experience of weaning a child.
Insightful and wise, the expressions in this soulful collection illustrate the paradox of motherhood and will speak to your heart as you see motherhood in a whole new—and holy—way.
Contributions stem from both ancient and contemporary sources, and many contributions were written specifically for this book.
“Inspiring and beautiful … will touch your heart and soul, whatever your tradition. A must read.”
—Marci Shimoff, #1 New York Times co-author, Chicken Soup for Every Mom’s Soul
“The miracle of birth, the grace of motherhood … helps us celebrate both and gives voice to the unique bond between mother and child.”
—Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, award-winning author, God’s Paintbrush and God’s Echo
“A treasury to lift the spirit. Pooling wisdom from all over the world … will heighten your feelings of gratitude for the greatest of all gifts.”
—Sarah Napthali, author, Buddhism for Mothers
“Inspiring…. Capture[s] and convey[s] the different shades of motherhood and their attendant joys and challenges.”
—Spirituality & Practice
“Contains, like motherhood itself, ever-echoing notes of tenderness, joy and sorrow. Its fullness and honesty embrace one like an enduring friendship.”
—Mary Cronk Farrell, author, Celebrating Faith; coauthor, Daughters of the Desert
“A wonderful collection of beautiful, heartwarming, honest and humorous anecdotes, prayers, poems and meditations.”
—Catholic Library World
Introduction ix
1 Tilling the Soil
Honoring Our Maternal Ancestors 1
2 Spring
A Season of Planting and New Life 29
3 Summer
A Season of Growth and Transformation 65
4 Autumn
A Season of Thanks-Giving 105
Song of the Child: A Blessing Ceremony for the Expectant Mother and Child 108
Dar a Luz: A Blessing Ceremony for the Expectant Mother and Child 113
Welcome for Birth: A Multigenerational Family Celebration 120
Welcome for Adoption: A Blessing from Guatemala 126
A Meditation on Weaning 133
5 Winter
A Season of Loss 139
6 The Divine Mother
A Sustaining Taproot 177
7 Sowing the Seeds
The Power of a Mother's Love 199
About the Contributors 226
Credits 234
Acknowledgments 242
Editor's Note 242
Maya Angelou
Anne Lamott
George Eliot
Robert Frost
Kahlil Gibran
Princess Grace of Monaco
Hafiz
Thich Nhat Hanh
Gerard Manley Hopkins
Linda Lawrence Hunt
Laurie Klein
Anne Lamott
Gabriela Mistral
Gunilla Norris
Sappho
Masaoka Shiki
Mirabai Starr
Rabindranath Tagore
Jeanne Murray Walker
and many more
