The care and comfort provided by mothers is a privilege. For those with a strong mother figure, it is easy to see how impactful their nurturing has been. Mother figures often represent gentleness and selfless love, but they also represent protectors and providers, fierce and relentless in protecting their young. At its core, motherhood is a journey of love and sacrifice. It involves physical changes, an emotional whirlwind, social expectations, and a complete identity shift. The juggling act commences, and it never really ends. Regardless of how old their children get; mothers will always be mothers. 

My mom recently shared the joys of birdwatching with me. I frequently find her sitting on our porch, watching the pigeons she feeds move about. While my mom leaves bird feed out regularly, some pigeons wander onto our porch to steal leftover dog food. My mom shared that she enjoys watching one pigeon in particular. It is a beautiful, white-spotted pigeon that has been around for a while now. How she can tell them apart is a mystery to me. She shared that this pigeon arrived with its mother one day and never left. For days, she watched as the mother pigeon showed her offspring where to find the leftover dog food scraps when the bird feed was gone. She would proceed to show him how to dunk the dry kibble in the dog’s water bowl to soften it and eat it. This became their routine. My mom would love to watch the bandit duo steal the dog’s kibble. She was amazed at the intelligence of these birds and the mother’s dedication. The mother pigeon ensured that her offspring knew how to survive. While the offspring is now an adult and the duo is no longer visiting the porch together, my mom continues to watch the offspring do exactly as his mother taught him. This white-spotted pigeon continues to visit our porch by himself and dips the kibble in the water to eat it. The maternal instincts of this bird showed me that there is a remarkable similarity between animals and humans. Mothers protect, guide, and nurture. I couldn’t help but relate to that pigeon; my mom taught me so much, and I am a reflection of her now.

While I can speak from my own experience, I recognize that not everyone’s journey with motherhood is the same. I want to acknowledge and honor the spectrum of experiences that exist and highlight that everyone’s experience is valid and unique. Love and nurture come in various ways. For those who did not or do not have the privilege of experiencing this in their lives, I encourage you to embody that selfless kindness for others.