Article May 7, 2012 Issue

Mom with us

Norm Bleichman

You would have loved my mom. She was a joyous, expressive woman with a great sense of humor—a fabulous cook and an artistic needlepointer. Above all, she was a great mother to me and my sisters. By that I mean she exemplified the best of what the world defines as mothering. Whatever problem we were facing, Mom was there, encouraging us, knowing we could make it through. When we weren’t feeling well, she stayed up and prayed for us. And however dire the situation, she’d always discover a way to help us “find the funny” in it. And yes, she’d never miss an opportunity to brag about us to anyone who would listen. But beyond those basics, she gave us something else—Christian Science. That’s what has stayed with me long after Mom’s passing. She knew that this Science of the Christ would provide the lasting and solid virtues of motherhood that would continue to provide care and counsel beyond what could come from family or friends.

Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science and founded this magazine, was among the few thinkers of the 19th century who spoke of the motherhood of God. The term Father-Mother God, as she used it, denoted the tender solicitude and patience that the Almighty has for Her children. Eddy elaborated: “The true mother never willingly neglects her children in their early and sacred hours, consigning them to the care of nurse or stranger. Who can feel and comprehend the needs of her babe like the ardent mother? What other heart yearns with her solicitude, endures with her patience, waits with her hope, and labors with her love, to promote the welfare and happiness of her children?” (Retrospection and Introspection, p. 90).

To me that concept reinforces the notion that God doesn’t just create us, nurture us for a few years, then drop us off somewhere and say, “OK, kids, you’re on your own.” Her mothering continues forever as we realize our inseparability from divine goodness and guidance, no matter where we find ourselves. 