Being a mother changes you to the core in ways that affect our immediate surroundings, but also how we see the world.
For most, it begins with a physical manifestation that starts with bodily changes, poetically foreshadowing the life being formed from within you and the power it has to change you, whether you consent or not. For countless others, motherhood is conceived first in their hearts, as her child may be birthed from another woman’s body, yet the yearning and mothering instinct had taken root long before.
The inexplicable force of motherhood is equally great for various women who have chosen to go down the motherhood path, yet the mystery remains… what is it about motherhood that beckons you to live differently?
Priorities shift like tectonic plates moving underfoot, sometimes subtle and organic and unpredictability is shown at times with earthquake-like force. But change is must for motherhood, if we are to fully embrace the great responsibility of loving, protecting, nurturing, guiding and encouraging other human beings to reach their full potential.
It’s incredible to me that the forces of biology conspire with the yearnings of the soul to harness what was once primarily self-interest, into being an “others focused” person. A mother. My life is different as a mom. My heart and capacity to love is bigger as a mom and my epic fails are also amplified. There is no hiding the fact that though my desire to be better [more kind, patient and fun] is robust.
My world-view is also impacted as a mother; I see the world differently now, which has inspired me even more in my current role at Sudara, a line of loungewear made with hope by women in India who have escaped human trafficking. I want a better world not only filled with beauty and wonder for my own three children, but a world filled with hope, dreams, justice and opportunity for children everywhere. It may sound utopian to some, but it most certainly is not. I prefer to think of it as humane.
The calling to fight sex trafficking in India started before I was a mother, but my husband and I often joke that starting Sudara was actually my first-born child. Fierce and complete resolve for fighting sex trafficking has been deeply solidified over the years when I began to view and filter life through the lens and responsibility of being a mom. Motherhood has exposed and given laser focus to the value, fragility and meaning of my life. An initial intention once content on having healthy and happy kids has morphed into yearning for a happy and healthy world, in which our kids and all children can grow and thrive. It is not enough for my kids to thrive while other children and their moms are perishing in the brothels of India [and around the world]. That is not acceptable to me and that is not a win for my life.
My hope this Mother’s Day is that we all take on the role of a mother, now and moving forward, and embrace the world as our own child. Too often we don’t recognize the internal struggle others face each and every day. Let’s celebrate the Motherly love that’s inside all of us and use that to make our world a better place for everyone.
Shannon Keith
Sudara founder & CEO
**reblogged from Conscious Magazine. Click here for original article