Motherhood is a simple biological fact. One that encompasses the condition of a woman — or, I suppose nowadays, a person of any gender identification — who gives birth to a baby. Or adopts a child. Or becomes a foster parent. Or enters into an ad hoc care relationship with a younger dependent.
Not so simple after all.
Reminding us that motherhood is also a social construct. Traditionally wrapped up with duty — a mother must care for her, or their, baby; the child, grown, is then obligated to care for its mother, if need be. That's only fair.
The details, however, shift according to age group, religious affiliation, geographical location. Should mothers stay home and focus entirely on their children? Work full time at demanding careers? Both?
The image also shifts over time.
When I was young, the popular motherhood cliche retained a whiff of the prairie. Put an old lady in a coal scuttle bonnet, give her some knitting and sit her in a rocking chair, and the image said, "Mother." Words were not necessary. Think James McNeill Whistler's "Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (Portrait of the Artist’s Mother)."
Our impressions of motherhood today often come not from paintings, but from commercials — think of all those women lunging after spills, their faces twisted in horror. Then there is "Strong," a commercial that Ohio consumer products manufacturer Procter & Gamble ran in conjunction with the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Every Mother's Day I post "Strong" on my mother's Facebook page, and it's the rare commercial that I'll sometimes call up and watch for pleasure, the way you'd watch a movie. If you have access to YouTube, I suggest you go watch it now.
Created by Wieden+Kennedy, a global, independent creative agency, the "Strong" spot grabs you in its first second, both visually and aurally. The opening scene is the back of a little girl, frozen, transfixed in horror at an angry tornado churning up the horizon. A siren wails.
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Happy Mother’s Day! To my mom, a living saint. Love you 😘
ReplyDeleteBrings tears to your eyes, doesn't it. My mother was one of those you described. I was also one of those you described.
ReplyDeleteEvery Mother's Day brings tears to my eyes. I guess I fit into the "ad hoc with a younger dependent" category . I lost my mother to breast cancer in 1961. She was only 42, the mother of 4 girls ages 5-22.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest sister took over the mothering role.
Me, being the youngest, needed it most. She raised me and took care of me. 63 years later, the roles have reversed. I am the one caring for her. I am 68, she is 85. Widowed with no children of her own, she moved to an an assisted living facility last December due to serious health issues. I will visit her Sunday. So kudos to all the moms out there. Whether you were born into the role or not, you deserve a special day to call your own.
Judy
I saw the commercial and disliked it because parents and other adults inflict or ignore physical and mental abuse on child atheletes, tenfold to achieve champion status on national and international levels. We have an insane version of good parenting where popularity, money and power are the only attributes of true value even in the little ponds.
ReplyDeleteNever had any trouble finding a suitable card for my mother. But every June I spent about two hours at Walgreens, searching for an appropriate one for my father. It was not an easy task.
ReplyDeleteNeither Hallmark nor anybody else sells cards that say: "We don't like each other very much, and you've always treated me like [dirt], and you've always been an abusive bastard. But it's Father's Day, and I want to do the right thing, so here's another card."
He died in 2002. Don't have to play that game anymore.
My sympathies to those who still do. It sucked.
My favorite line on MASH was when Charles told Hawkeye:
"I had a father...but you had a Dad."
I lived that line for fifty-plus years.
Great commercial. Thanks!
ReplyDelete