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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines mothering as
Very simply, to mother is to create and nurture. The need to create and nurture is powerful and important, both in the lives of individuals and to society. Were we not driven to mother, the human species would be long gone already. Because of this innate drive, even individuals who might never have been particularly drawn to others' children will still feel the urge to create and nurture through procreation. Where does this leave the childless individual?
Coping with one's own drive to mother is, for those to whom a biological child is not easily forthcoming, one of the most difficult challenges of a life; however, it can also be one of the most positively transforming. Mastering the challenge is comparable in effect to mastering the art of living alone as an adult. The experiences can hold quiet pain, incredible loneliness, and awesome isolation, or they can bring wide open spaces of leisure time, growth-inspiring challenges, and new worlds of friendship and love experiences. It's all in one's perspective.
© Tracy Morris
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