Wellbeing
Published on May 17, 2018
Comments 28

It’s a Hallmark construction yes, but has layers to it still

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Mother's Day is not always easy over 50 as we age

#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver

My son ’17’ and I don’t do Mother’s Day; he did give me a hug, and we acknowledged that lots of other people around the world were celebrating it together. But this is the image I shared on my Facebook page that morning (no source credit sorry).

“Motherhood” is such a loaded concept, with so many differing expectations, and I was grateful to be able to offer my tiny input into considering some of the non-dominant paradigms as illustrated.

Then I went and got sweaty on a bush walk with the Tasmanian tiger who recently turned 50 and made us all do that bloody 4-day hike!

It was so good to be in the forest, and commune with Mama Earth. We started by looking at the waterfall we were walking to the base of:

Waterfall in Australia to hike to for Mother's Day self care and wellbeing over 50

#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver

The track was clear but narrow, and obviously heading down, but everything is easy among the trees when you’re NOT carrying a 15kg back pack:

#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver
#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver

We got to the base after scrabbling up rocks like ninjas middle-aged ninjas, where recent rains thundered the falls over the volcanic rock:

Waterfall in Australia to hike to for Mother's Day self care and wellbeing over 50

#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver

Then a climb up the other side of the valley, noting details along the way, while discussing relationships/online dating/attachment theory/gossip/teenagers etc (pretty much just a live version of this blog really):

#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver
#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver
#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver

We paused to reflect on being a ‘Mum’, and how differently so many of us take on that role, despite social pressures. Not to mention the women who don’t/can’t/won’t do it, or have suffered terrible losses on their journey.

I shamelessly hugged this huge tree, because I’m grateful to be here in Australia, & grateful to be a Mum, yet aware of the difficulties I’ve actually had being a mother sometimes, andĀ with my own Mum over the years:

Massive tree in Australia to hike to for Mother's Day self care and wellbeing over 50

#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver

But trees just ARE. They simply grow, intimately entwined with their immediate environment, while contributing to the larger global environment which gives us breath and life.

We pushed on after the philosophical introspection, and reached the top of the falls, first from one side, then the other. It was high up, and kinda scary but thrilling (like mothering really):

#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver
#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver
#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver

Sometimes the beauty of the Australian bush hooks into a memory, and I recalled the first time I ever saw the ‘scribbly gum’ marks after emigrating here from England, which still stun me:

#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver
#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver
#australia #mother’sday #over50 #MotherEarth #grateful #love @boneAndsilver

The 3-hour hike was delightful, and we paused often to stand in complete silence and let the bush soundtrack wash over us. ‘Forest-bathing’ is a thing you know, even according to TIME magazine; go try it.

Then fill yourself with gratitude: for your family, your friends, your neighbourhood, plus the tiny daily choices you can make to take better care of our one and only Mother Earth, thank you, with love G xO

 

28 Comments

  1. Matt Berger says

    “Forest-bathing.” Perfect.

    I fall into category 2 (red roses) of your non-dominant paradigm twice, perhaps even three times. I know, I know …I am SUCH an overachiever.

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  3. Marian says

    Beautiful post, G. I’m not a fan of Mother’s Day either ā€” do you know the story of its American founder, who spent the latter part of her life trying to remove the holiday from the calendar? Love all the photos of the trees, and especially the gentle reminder in your last paragraph ā€” “the tiny daily choices you can make to take better care of our one and only Mother Earth.”

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    • bone&silver says

      Thanks Marian- yes, I was aware of that story, but decided for word count to just focus on my Earth walk. And that final sentence seemed to come through me, rather than from me, if you know what I mean? Thank you for engaging and commenting, G šŸ˜Š

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  4. gigglingfattie says

    This year I have branched out my ideas of mother’s day. At church they celebrated all women as biological and spiritual mothers. And I even got happy mother’s day texts from people (even the mother of the kids I nanny). I love this image because it covers so many different varieties of women. I also love all the pictures after!!

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    • bone&silver says

      Thanks T- I’m so glad to hear this wider concept resonated for you. And yes, you are indeed mothering those children, of course, so I’m glad it’s recognized. Growing older and being a female is much more nuanced than just being a biological mother… ā¤

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    • bone&silver says

      Such a big old mama she was šŸ˜ One of several I hugged and snuggled with šŸ˜

      Seems like you’re leading the way with your forest bathing… I should have guessed as much! šŸ˜˜

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    • bone&silver says

      Thank you- I can claim no responsibility for the image, but really feel for all the women who fit into any of those categories, myself included. Thank you for commenting šŸ™‚

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  10. Unleashing the Cougar says

    I liked that graphic too and I saved it last week for future reference. It’s not often you see something as sensitive as that, acknowledging all those different types of mothers. I am the same as you with my boys. We don’t do commercialism; when they were little (ie under 12) I’d ask them to make me something, especially a card. As Steiner kids their artwork was always exquisite. When they got older I often got a cake or something baked for me, where I was lucky enough to clean up the mess as well! Nowadays a hug is just fine too. I loved seeing you and that incredible tree. Wow, what a place. You are very lucky šŸ™‚

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    • bone&silver says

      I am so lucky indeed, and your connection with your boys sounds lovely šŸ™‚

      I think I’m going to re-post that graphic every year, just to remind everyone of the breadth of the female/mothering experience…

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