Motherhood meets Mother Earth

When I was pregnant, I would spend many hours in my rocking chair holding my rotund belly and daydreaming about the kind of mother I would be. Here’s what I knew. We would watch no more than a half-hour of the Nature channel each night. My daughter, Georgia, would have ample toys to fill her toy box, but no more. We’d spend hours frolicking in the grass looking at bugs. And she’d promptly fall asleep at 7 o’clock after a hearty meal, a warm bubble bath and bedtime stories.

Here’s how it really turned out. It’s usually me who flips through the channels and screams, “Yes! SpongeBob is on!” And, somehow, she has two out of the three rooms in our home for her toys. Georgia is allergic to grass, but she loves bugs. And she didn’t sleep for the first three years of her life, at which point I was a haggard, crazy woman who walked around in public with Groovy Kids sticking out of my bra so they’d smell like me and Georgia would be able to sleep.

Phenomenal days were when I remembered what the word “shower” meant and she would take a nap without my pinky being her permanent pacifier. Slowly, phenomenal days grew into something greater. At first they were simple treasures—her first dandelion, her first squeal as the ocean’s surf played tag with her toes, her first realization that she could follow a duck. And then conscientious thought bloomed. She was determined to hoist a fledgling in a fake nest up to its squawking mother in a tree. It worked. She went up against a group of older boys to protect a bug. She won. And she picks up litter and brings it home to dismantle it if it poses a threat to animals, Yoplait yogurt cups included.

My journals are filled with hundreds of moments like these. They document the very transformation of a completely dependent infant into a considerate, compassionate and thoughtful child. She has taken my simple lessons of sustaining Mother Earth and developed them with her own little flair. Being a part of these moments, which make up the story of Georgia’s life, reach far beyond any particular day selected to reward me as a mother.

Yet, Mother’s Day is a fantastic opportunity to remember that a mother can only be her best if she functions at a sustainable pace, just like Mother Earth. Use it as an occasion to reflect on how you live your life. Reconsider how family time is balanced with personal time. Reduce obligations in the interest of fun. Hold a family meeting, decide what your family’s well-being looks like and make choices that support your objectives. These are Mother’s Day gifts that will last a lifetime.

The other day, I asked my friends what they would like for Mother’s Day if they could place a custom order. Not a single one said a gift. They all wanted to spend quality time with their families. It was really touching. So here’s an idea: Set up that new CooKit you just bought from Solar Cookers International and spend a lazy afternoon with your family cooking with the sun. It’ll be a memory forever.

And in the interest of celebrating an American tradition, bring on the scrambled eggs with eggshells in them, the lowly weed that looks most lovely through a child’s eyes, and the handmade card that says, “You are a good Mommy.” We love them so.

And for all you Hunnypies, Poopykins and Sweethearts who want to give your special woman a token of appreciation for her love and devotion and all she does, here are a few simple and sustainable gifts that will make the woman in your life and Mother Earth smile.

The Body Shop
Go beautiful on the outside and the inside with the Body Shop. Its full line of makeup, beauty-care and pampering products are “made with a passion” to sustain the Earth. The values of the Body Shop promote community trade, self-esteem, human rights, protection of our planet and the prevention of animal cruelty and testing. Stop by your local Body Shop in Arden Fair Mall or order online at www.thebodyshop.com.

Tarma Designs
Tarma Designs brings sustainability and style together through its natural look-and-feel jewelry made of recycled stainless steel and fairly traded artisan pieces. Pendants, earrings and must-have wristbands celebrate a love of the natural world and outdoor pursuits. This unique line of local jewelry from Petaluma brings Earth-friendly jewelry to SN&R readers at no shipping cost. Use the promotion code “Green Days” when ordering online at www.tarmadesigns.com.

Lunapads
Lunapads offers women the most comfortable, environmentally friendly products to manage their cycle. And SN&R readers are privy to a special 10-percent discount on all orders of $25 or more, now through June 30. Order online at www.lunapads.com and use the promotion code “greendays” to order washable and fashionable menstrual pads, panties with a panty liner sewn in, sea-sponge tampons and the Keeper, a funnel-like cup made of natural gum rubber, designed to replace disposable tampons.

The Simple Living Guide
Live simply no matter who you are or what you do. Author Janet Luhrs redefines simple living as deliberate living. The Simple Living Guide sheds light on who you are and how to easily implement thoughtful, deliberate choices about your home, family, work, money, lifestyle and holidays, bringing your life into balance with your ideals.