The Guest House by Rumi

Wishing all who mother in their own unique ways a very happy Mother’s Day. This poem has meant a great deal to me as a mother. Taking care of my own emotional guests has helped me reparent myself, an act of self love I desperately needed. This has helped me better deal with the visiting emotions and experiences of each of my children. Knowing on the deepest of levels that each feeling, thought, mind state, fear, agitation, and inner happening is just a visitor passing through. When I welcome them I remain the steadfast host who can ultimately escort them back out. But to do that I must greet them first. They are knocking in order to be seen.
Being a mother is fraught with so much emotion. Victories, failures, mountains of self doubt, and immense love all seem to be detonating simultaneously. The trick is to remind ourselves over and over that while these guests come and go, we remain. Knowing this is one of the best things we can demonstrate to our kids. Their own thoughts and feelings come and go while they remain a constant. And as their own experiences wash over them, knocking them over just as ours do to us, Mommy remains.

I’m not perfect because no human is, but I am here. My love for you is not a guest.