Every Mother's Son

Gooooooooood morning ^j^

Yep it is still morning here on the grey west coast of Canada, even as I see that Baghdad is a balmy (or is that barmy?) 115 degrees. I was going to start this morning with a joke or two, something to have us all start our day with a giggle. But you know what? Right now I don't feel like giggling.

Let's talk about mothers and motherhood. In one of my previous entries here I mentioned Cindy you know who.....and not long after I wrote that, I heard on CBC radio in the middle of the night here, the name of the Canadian killed in action, and I started thinking about HIS mother.

I AM a mother, and although my child is not serving in the armed forces, I am priviledged to know many mums of kids serving in Iraq and Afghanistan right now, and others who are preparing to go. I am also honoured to know some of those sons.

I do NOT know Cindy Sheehan and I did not know Casey, but I really have been wondering just what Casey would make of the way his mum has achieved fame. Grief from a loss strikes each of us differently. There is NO right way to mourn, and I really am the last person on earth who would judge another by the way they choose to express his or her grief. I have been blessed NOT to lose my child, but I have shared in, and witnessed, the grief of those who have. Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking - you name it. There are not enough words to adequately describe the primal grief of losing a child.

A couple of weeks ago, a mother and father in small town Nova Scotia gave a press conference. Their soldier son had just been killed. (I am choosing NOT to use the acronym KIA). The mother spoke to the cameras, and reached across this land with such a quiet dignity, I cried. I don't remember her exact words but she said that her son loved what he was doing in the Candian armed forces, loved his comrades, believed in the mission in Afghanistan. She shared with the country a bit of her son, and closed by saying "support our troops." This mother has not been in the public eye since.

I do not know what I would do if I lost my child. I pray I never have to find out. We have all seen how some mothers turn to activism, and become very vocal in their grief. Others quietly go about their business, as they try and scab over the wound that is the loss of their heroes. And my heart beats with compassion for all mothers and fathers who have to suffer through that agony.

Yes I do feel compassion for Cindy Sheehan, truly I do. I get the feeling that one day she really is going to need our compassion. When her use to the anti-war effort is over, when her 15 minutes of fame are up, what will Cindy do? She says she wants all troops home. Well DUH!!! But the mission is not over yet. I do not know ONE single mother who would NOT rather have her children home safe with them. I am in awe of those mums who quietly go about their business of supporting their kids even if they don't agree with their choices. I have such respect for the mums whose children have chosen to represent their country's vaues, and signed on to ensure a better life for people far away..

And while every mother's son is laying his life on the line minute by minute, some of those mums work hard on the home front to support their kids. I have enormous respect for the energy, the commitment, the sheer doggedness of the mothers I know who work every day to make what must be a life in hell, at least a bit more bearable. So to the Donnas and the Rae's, and yep to the Patti's and all the mothers I don't personally know, thanks for allowing me to be on the path with you.